President Donald Trump will hold his first campaign rally since the coronavirus pandemic cancelled large gatherings across the United States in Tulsa.
The Tulsa World reports it is unclear where the June 19 event will take place, but Trump described it as a "beautiful new venue, brand new."
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum’s office is working to confirm details on the visit.
"Tulsans have managed one of the first successful reopenings in the nation, so we can only guess that may be the reason President Trump selected Tulsa as a rally site," Bynum told the Tulsa World. "The city of Tulsa continues to follow the state of Oklahoma’s OURS plan on COVID-19 response as it relates to events, which encourages the organizer to have enhanced hygiene considerations for attendees."
The rally will take place on Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Tulsa is also the site of the Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the biggest acts of racial violence in the history of the country.
Democratic politicians have condemned the date and location of Trump's rally, while several Oklahoma Republicans, including Governor Kevin Stitt, Senator Jim Inhofe and Congressman Kevin Hern, applauded the announcement.
Tulsa was the site of the worst racist violence in American history. The president’s speech there on Juneteenth is a message to every Black American: more of the same.
— Rep. Val Demings (@RepValDemings) June 11, 2020
This isn't just a wink to white supremacists—he's throwing them a welcome home party. https://t.co/lUXpnUoFQU
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 11, 2020
Excited to welcome President @realDonaldTrump to Oklahoma! pic.twitter.com/b73nbCXKJo
— Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) June 11, 2020
There's no better place for @realdonaldtrump to re-launch his energetic campaign rallies than right here in Tulsa. I look forward to welcoming the President to the First District next week!
— Kevin Hern (@krhern) June 10, 2020
Trump campaign officials told the New York Times that they are considered modest attempts at reducing risk of spreading coronavirus, including providing hand sanitizer, but had made no final decisions on how to safely bring together a large crowd.
As of Thursday, Oklahoma has recorded 7,626 cases of the coronavirus and 357 deaths.
