TULSA, Okla. – After the state began reopening last month after closing to slow the spread of COVID-19, President Donald Trump announced that he selected the Sooner State as the spot for his first rally following the pandemic.
Initially, the Trump campaign announced that the president would hold a rally in Tulsa on June 19.
However, his plans were criticized for the date, which fell on Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
This past weekend, Trump announced that the rally would be moved to Saturday, June 20 “out of respect” for the holiday.
“We had previously scheduled our #MAGA Rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for June 19th — a big deal,” Trump tweeted. “Unfortunately, however, this would fall on the Juneteenth Holiday. Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday, and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents. I have therefore decided to move our rally to Saturday, June 20th, in order to honor their requests.”
As plans move forward for Trump’s visit to Tulsa, many people are still expressing concerns about the large crowd that is expected to gather and the ongoing fight against COVID-19.
So far, officials with the Oklahoma Republican Party say 800,000 people have signed up to attend the rally in Tulsa.
The BOK Center only holds around 20,000 people, so organizers say the Cox Center will likely be used for the overflow crowd.
David McClain, Chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party, says that the Trump administration is taking precautions to make sure everyone is protected at the rally from the virus.
McClain says the Trump campaign will be giving masks to guests at the BOK Center, will do temperature checks of everyone at the door, and there will be hand sanitizer available.
