President Trump's critics are beside themselves that he's holding a campaign rally this Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, arguing that it has the potential to lead to another coronavirus outbreak. The event has already fielded over 1 million ticket requests. The enthusiasm among Trump supporters is palpable in terms of fundraising too. On Sunday, which also happened to be Trump's 74th birthday, the campaign had its single best online fundraising day ever, RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel noted on Fox News.
"But what it says is the enthusiasm for this President is through the roof and it is higher than we've ever seen," McDaniel said. "We saw it yesterday for his birthday when they raised $14 million online. Now we are seeing it with this rally, and that is something that is being underrepresented in these polls."
But outlets like the The Tulsa World editorial board are pleading with the Trump campaign to reconsider Saturday's rally. "This is the wrong time," they argue.
"Tulsa is still dealing with the challenges created by a pandemic," the editors write. "The city and state have authorized reopening, but that doesn’t make a mass indoor gathering of people pressed closely together and cheering a good idea. There is no treatment for COVID-19 and no vaccine. It will be our health care system that will have to deal with whatever effects follow."
Despite what some naysayers may allege, the Trump campaign appears to be taking coronavirus concerns seriously. Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale released some guidelines for attendees ahead of Saturday's event.
Over 1M ticket requests for the @realDonaldTrump #MAGA Rally in Tulsa on Saturday.
— Brad Parscale (@parscale) June 15, 2020
Before entering each guest will get:
?Temperature check
?Hand sanitizer
?Mask
There will be precautions for the heat and bottled water as well.
Massive protests have been popping up all over the country in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, with the support of city officials who are supposedly concerned about COVID-19. And a massive Black Trans Lives Matter protest took place in Brooklyn on Sunday following a White House decision on transgender protections.
The hypocrisy wasn't lost on the president.
The Far Left Fake News Media, which had no Covid problem with the Rioters & Looters destroying Democrat run cities, is trying to Covid Shame us on our big Rallies. Won’t work!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2020