FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump heads to the Marine One helicopter to depart for a weekend at Camp David from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., May 1, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump, cooped up in the White House for weeks due to the coronavirus lockdown, flew to Camp David, Maryland, on Friday for a weekend away at the presidential retreat.
When his Marine One helicopter left the South Lawn, it was the first time Trump had left the White House grounds since March 28, when he visited Norfolk, Virginia, to see the U.S. Navy hospital ship Comfort set sail for New York harbor.
Trump told reporters as he left the White House that he would be practicing social distancing while at Camp David, and that he plans a working weekend that will include phone calls with foreign leaders.
He is to return to Washington on Sunday in time for a Fox News Channel “virtual town hall” event at the Lincoln Memorial.
Trump plans a trip to Phoenix, Arizona, on Tuesday. Vice President Mike Pence has made a handful of trips out of Washington to check on coronavirus relief efforts.
Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Richard Chang