Trump team considering drive-in MAGA rallies due to coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic has put a pause on almost every aspect of life in the United States — including political rallies. But President Donald Trump's team has reportedly been at work considering possible workarounds. One idea floated involves holding rallies at drive-in theaters around the country. 

According to The Daily Beast, Trump's team plans to pitch the idea to the president as early as next week.

"President Trump is a great campaigner," Ed Brookover, a 2016 Trump advisor, told the outlet. "Finding new ways for him to connect directly with voters will be very beneficial to his campaign. Selecting drive-in theaters as a rally location makes perfect sense." 

An old-timey drive-in theater would certainly match with Trump's "Make America Great Again" nostalgia. However, there are a number of issues with the plan, including the logistics of safely maintaining social distancing. Plus, there's the fact that drive-in theaters just can't hold as many people as the sports arenas Trump is used to filling.

San Antonio has experienced an upswing in interest in drive-in screenings during the pandemic, but its two of its available spots are essentially small pop-ups that likely wouldn't work for a sizable political rally.

The owner of New Braunfels' Stars & Stripes Drive-In Theatre, the nearest full-size drive-in, said he hadn't been contracted by Trump campaign officials about staging such an event. That spot has capacity for around 1,000 cars.

The Trump campaign proposal follows recent drive-in concerts, including the EDM Drive-In electronic music festival, which took place in San Antonio this summer. A second installment of the fest is scheduled for October.

This story first appeared in the Detroit Metro Times, an affiliated publication. San Antonio Current contributor Kiko Martinez also added to this report.

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