Donald Trump Reschedules Campaign Rally Following Juneteenth Backlash

After President Donald Trump was initially scheduled to kick off his campaign rallies in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 19 aka Juneteenth — the day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States — he has now rescheduled the rally for another day. On Friday, Trump revealed he would be rescheduling the first campaign gathering ahead of the November election so it won’t conflict with Juneteenth’s observance of the end of slavery in the U.S.

His original move drew widespread criticism, as his rally would come amidst protests highlighting racial injustice and police brutality in the country. Now, following that backlash, the president has officially decided to postpone the event, per CNN. The former reality star initially sparked backlash after announcing the date and location of the upcoming rally. Not only did many point out that his rally would have fallen on Juneteenth, but it would also have been in Tulsa, a city that was the site of one of the most horrific incidents of racial violence in the country’s history.

According to CNN, in 1921, there was a massacre of hundreds of African American citizens by a white mob that looted and burned down many of the black-owned businesses and homes in the Greenwood District, which was referred to as the “Black Wall Street.” They further reported that many took issue with the date and location of Trump’s rally especially because the president has kept mum regarding the actual conversation surrounding systemic racism in the country.

Alas, the president did reschedule the event, which will now take place on June 20. Trump even addressed the delay on Twitter by writing that he was in contact with his “African American friends and supporters” and ultimately decided to move to rally to June 20 in order to “honor their requests” to respect the occasion. He ended his statements by writing that there have already been over 200,000. ticket requests for the rally, which, it should be noted, comes as those around the world are still implementing social distancing practices amidst the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

According to the New York Daily News, Trump’s rallies have been known to draw thousands of people. But, due to the coronavirus pandemic, they have been on hiatus since March 2. However, the president is eager to hold these rallies once again. In addition to traveling to Oklahoma, CNN reported that Trump has plans to visit Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona in the near future as he heads out on the campaign trail in advance of this year’s general election.