Supporters gather ahead of President Trump’s June 19 rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is expected to draw more than 100,000 people.
“I wish we could postpone this to a time when the virus isn’t as large a concern as it is today,” Dart told the paper. “I’m concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large, indoor event, and I’m also concerned about our ability to ensure the president stays safe as well.”
A suit brought by Tulsa businesses and residents aimed at mandating coronavirus precautions at the rally was denied by an Oklahoma judge on Wednesday. Lawyers for the plaintiffs turned to the Oklahoma Supreme Court for help on Thursday, arguing during a phone conference that,"It's madness to let this event go forward."
Lawyers for the company that owns the BOK Center countered that while there's no dispute that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would consider the event ill-advised, the CDC also says event planners can adjust safety requirements for events. In this case, they said, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has given the event a green light and the BOK Center has asked the Trump campaign to follow the state's rules. No ruling is expected until Friday.
The rally — Trump's first since the coronavirus pandemic led to mass gatherings across the country being canceled — was originally scheduled for Friday, the Juneteenth holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States., Trump said he decided to postpone the rally a day"out of respect because I had two African-American friends and supporters.""I did something good. I made it famous. I made Juneteenth very famous.
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