President Trump held his first public event since contracting the novel coronavirus, gathering a crowd of hundreds of supporters at the White House today despite providing no evidence that he was no longer infectious.

It marked the beginning of what aides have described as a triumphant return to campaigning for reelection after his hospitalization — and a sign that the virus that rocked Trump’s campaign and infected much of the West Wing has not changed his combative and defiant approach to governing.

“We’re starting very, very big with the rallies, and with our everything,” Trump told the crowded group of conservative activists while standing on a balcony. “Because we cannot allow our country to become a socialist nation.”

After being confined to the White House and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since his Oct. 1 positive test for the coronavirus, Trump is scheduled to begin a frenetic stretch of rallies up through Nov. 3.

Trump’s campaign announced rallies in Pennsylvania and Iowa on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, following a previously announced rally in Florida on Monday.

But how Trump will travel the country safely remains in question.

In a memo released tonight, White House doctor Sean Conley said he assessed that Trump was “no longer considered a transmission risk to others” and that “the assortment of advanced diagnostic tests obtained reveal there is no longer evidence of actively replicating virus.”

The White House, which has provided only limited information about Trump’s health since he was released from Walter Reed on Monday, did not say that Trump has tested negative for the coronavirus, and it did not reveal the results of multiple tests Trump has taken since he got sick.

Trump was spotted with band-aids on the back of his hand, suggesting he is receiving intravenous fluids despite claiming to be ‘medication free’ after his battle with coronavirus.

The flesh-colored bandages were seen on the back of Trump’s right hand as he delivered remarks.

The bandages were placed in a spot that is commonly used to deliver IV fluids or medications.

Trump told the gathered group that a vaccine would soon be available and touted therapeutics that have not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

While Trump has been isolated in the White House, his Democratic rival Joe Biden has been campaigning across the country.

Before traveling to Pennsylvania today, Biden announced that he had again tested negative for the coronavirus.

Asked if Trump should be holding political rallies so soon after contracting the virus, Biden said Trump should first ensure that “he is not a spreader.”

He also criticized Trump for failing to follow public health guidelines at crowded events.

“I think it’s important that he make it clear to all the people that they should be socially distanced, they can be on the lawn, that’s fine,” he said before traveling to Erie, Pa., for an event. “But in fact, they should be socially distanced and wearing masks. That’s the only responsible thing to do.”

Although the attendees at Saturday’s White House event were distanced from Trump, social distancing among the crowd was neither encouraged nor enforced.

Speaking from the balcony of the building where he is under isolation, Trump continued to downplay the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s going to disappear,” he said, repeating a line he first uttered in February, or more than 213,000 deaths ago. “It is disappearing.”

In reality, the coronavirus appears to be resurgent in much of the country, with an average of almost 50,000 cases each day over the past week.

More than 900 Americans died of the virus on Friday.

Trump’s continued denial about the coronavirus — even after contracting it himself and suffering serious symptoms — has raised concerns among many Republicans that he is making a grave political miscalculation just over three weeks before Election Day.

Several GOP leaders have sought to persuade Trump to make a more measured and focused closing argument about the pandemic and other issues that matter to voters.

Republican lawmakers and officials within Trump’s own administration have criticized the president for failing to put forward a coherent message about the virus other than downplaying it and touting his personal ability to survive it.

“We’re not articulating a vision for where we’re going or even articulating what we’ve done,” said one senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal concerns.

Rather than delivering a national address to the country from the White House, Trump has opted to speak to partisan audiences in conservative media and hardcore supporters.

Trump’s campaign has said his upcoming rallies will take place at airports in Sanford, Fla.; Johnstown, Pa.; and Des Moines — reminiscent of his earlier events that attracted thousands of mostly maskless supporters.

The campaign did not announce any additional safety measures despite growing evidence that previous events have been linked to the virus’s spread.

Convinced that the experimental treatment he received is a “cure” for the coronavirus, Trump has shunned calls to reinforce the importance of public health measures such as mask-wearing, social distancing and hand-washing.