Donald Trump took to the stage in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday night for his first major campaign event since the coronavirus began spreading across America to a smaller-than-expected crowd.
The Trump campaign had expected some 19,000 people to crowd the city’s BOK Center arena, even though the number of coronavirus cases in Tulsa has spiked since the start of the month and the head of the city’s health department had warned the rally posed a huge risk.
The US president’s re-election team had also anticipated thousands of supporters would fill an outdoor “overflow” area where Mr Trump and US vice-president Mike Pence would address the crowd.
But the arena was far from full on Saturday night, and the campaign cancelled the outdoor events, blaming “radical protesters” and a “relentless onslaught from the media”.
Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign’s communications director, said the president was rallying with “thousands of energetic supporters”.
“Sadly, protesters interfered with supporters, even blocking access to the metal detectors, which prevented people from entering the rally. Radical protesters, coupled with a relentless onslaught from the media, attempted to frighten off the president’s supporters. We are proud of the thousands who stuck it out,” Mr Murtaugh added.
Mr Trump called supporters inside the arena “warriors” as he sought to relaunch his election campaign by slamming protesters who have taken to the streets after George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis, and burnishing his “law and order” credentials.
“I stand before you today to declare that the silent majority is stronger than ever before,” Mr Trump said, adding: “Five months from now, we are going to defeat Sleepy Joe Biden.”
The president has slipped in opinion polls in recent weeks, as an increasing number of Americans disapprove of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. He has also come under criticism from both Democrats and Republicans for his response to the widespread protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last month.
A Fox News poll this week gave Joe Biden, the former vice-president who will be the Democratic party’s presidential nominee, a 12-point lead over Mr Trump nationwide, while a Quinnipiac survey put the former vice-president eight points ahead of the incumbent.
The president also defended his handling of the coronavirus crisis on Saturday night, saying he “did a phenomenal job” with the pandemic. Mr Trump also claimed that he had asked officials to reduce the number of Covid-19 tests because “when you do testing to that extent you’re going to find more cases.”
“I said to my people slow the testing down,” the president added.
Mr Trump was joined at Saturday’s rally by many of his high-profile allies, including multiple Republican senators, congressmen and local officials. Mr Pence addressed the arena before the president but left to travel back to Washington DC before Mr Trump took the stage.
Nigel Farage, the head of the UK Brexit party, also attended the rally, despite a ban preventing people from the UK, Ireland and other European countries from travelling to the US due to the coronavirus. A spokesperson for the US department of homeland security said Mr Farage’s visit had been deemed “in the national interest”.
Earlier on Saturday, Mr Trump’s re-election campaign confirmed that six staffers had tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the Tulsa rally.
Mr Murtaugh said campaign staff were tested for coronavirus before events “per safety protocols”.
“Six members of the advance team tested positive out of hundreds of tests performed, and quarantine procedures were immediately implemented,” Mr Murtaugh said. “No Covid-positive staffers or anyone in immediate contact will be at today’s rally or near attendees and elected officials.”
The campaign said rally attendees would have their temperatures checked before going through security, where they would be given face masks and hand sanitiser. Most attendees did not appear to be wearing masks inside the arena.
The Trump campaign on Saturday morning said it raised $74m in May, giving the US president a war chest of some $265m cash on hand for the election.
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Trump takes stage in Tulsa to reduced crowd - Financial Times
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