Amid nation-wide anti-racism protests and an enduring pandemic, US President Donald Trump attempted to breathe life into his re-election campaign with a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday night.
In a nearly two-hour speech, Trump meandered on about a long list of grievances: from calling out the “leftist radicals” and “thugs” who had taken over America’s streets, to criticizing the “fake news” outlets who had unfairly targeted him and did not give him credit for his COVID-19—which he also called the “Kung Flu”— response that had saved “hundreds of thousands” of lives.
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Sticking to the rhetoric of positioning himself as a “law and order” president, Trump sought to energize his core voter base as he vowed to protect the Second Amendment, denounced the tearing down of Confederate monuments, and advocated for jailing protesters who burn the American flag. Saying nothing about the systemic racism that the country is grappling with, he instead flaunted his administration’s “incredible success” in rebuilding America and warned that the progress made could be completely undone by the “oppressive Democrats”. Speaking of his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, Trump said: “If the Democrats gain power, then the rioters will be in charge and no one will be safe”.
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The attendance for the event was nothing like expected. The BOK arena seats 19,000 people, but on Saturday, it was almost half-empty. The event had been planned to also extend outside, as Trump expected a million people to come, but it was later cancelled. Visibly upset about the disappointing turnout, Trump shifted the blame on protesters, who he said had kept the crowds away from his rally. “You are warriors. We had some very bad people outside. They were doing bad things. But I really do appreciate it,” Trump told his crowd. However, experts have suggested that the low numbers could be attributed to the President being unable to quell fears about the spread of the coronavirus in an indoor space.
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In a shocking admission, Trump also called for slowing down the testing for COVID-19, calling it a “double-edged sword”, saying that the more you test, the more positive cases you’ll find. Hours before the rally, the Trump campaign announced that six members of its advance team had tested positive for COVID-19. At the event, however, there was little social distancing, and masks were optional. Attendees were required to sign a waiver protecting organizers from any liability in the event COVID-19 spreads at the venue.
Trump’s comments about testing drew a wave of criticism from congressional Democrats and public health officials. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that limiting testing will only cost more American lives and called the President “ethically unfit and intellectually unprepared to lead”. White House officials immediately came to Trump’s rescue, asserting that the President’s comment was made in jest.
Image Source: The Boston Globe