Donald Trump Supporters Lined up Days Before Tulsa Rally to Secure Spots Inside
Donald Trump's rally in Tulsa stole all of the headlines over the weekend and even created quite [...]
Donald Trump's rally in Tulsa stole all of the headlines over the weekend and even created quite the media circus in the weeks leading up to it. Perhaps the biggest talking point to come from the event was the attendance, the impact the coronavirus had on it, and the expectation of one million people wanting to attend Trump's first stop back on the trail since the pandemic began.
While the attendance numbers were nowhere near the projections with approximately 6,200 people attending the event in Oklahoma that was held at the BOK Center, there were definitely some loyal supporters who made their way to Tulsa. Fox News shared an image of people camped out ahead of Saturday's big night. Some of the people who set up shop outside the venue were there as early as Thursday. After seeing the empty seats that were impacted by the spread of COVID-19 and even a potential prank played by some savvy Internet users, it turns out camping out the event may not have been necessary.
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The event got off to a rough start after it was originally announced that the Tulsa rally would be held on June 19. There was major backlash faced as frustrations mounted over the decision by Trump to host an event on Juneteenth, otherwise known as the day in history where slaves in Texas first earned their freedom. His team ended up pushing the date back one day.
After that, the realization that COVID-19 could become a serious factor in an inside setting came to fruition. Dr. Bruce Dart, the director of the Tulsa City-County Health Department, voiced his concern over the situation, telling the Tulsa World that the disease was spreading "efficiently" in the area despite reports. He suggested it would be best if the rally got pushed off for another later date when the virus wasn't as prevalent. It turns out Dart was onto something as it was learned Saturday morning that six of Trump's campaign staffers had tested positive for COVID-19.
During his speech at the event, Trump made a controversial comment when he remarked that he wanted to slow down testing. He also referred to the coronavirus as the "Kung Flu" once again tying it back to his belief that China is to blame for the virus.