This archive report was first published on 21 June 2020.
Trump's Rally Sees Poor Turnout ¶
US President Donald Trump's first campaign rally in months, held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 19, 2020, saw a poor turnout, with many seats in the 19,000-seat arena remaining empty.
According to reports, the Trump campaign had anticipated large crowds, but the event saw a significantly smaller number of attendees than expected.
Political strategist Steve Schmidt attributed the low turnout to teenagers across the US who had ordered tickets without intending to attend the event, in order to ensure there would be empty seats.
Mr. Schmidt, a critic of the president, stated that his 16-year-old daughter and her friends had requested 'hundreds' of tickets.
A number of parents responded to Mr. Schmidt's post, saying that their children had done likewise.
Despite the low turnout, Mr. Trump's campaign manager had blamed 'radical' protesters and the media for the poor attendance.
Coronavirus Fears ¶
There were health concerns about holding the rally, the first of its kind since lockdown measures began in many US states.
Those attending the rally had to sign a waiver protecting the Trump campaign from responsibility for any illness.
Hours before the event began, officials said six staff members involved in organizing the rally had tested positive.
The pandemic was one issue Mr. Trump touched on in his wide-ranging, almost two-hour-long speech to cheering supporters in Oklahoma, a Republican heartland.
Mr. Trump said there had been 'very bad people outside, they were doing bad things', but did not elaborate.
On the coronavirus response, Mr. Trump said he had encouraged officials to slow down testing because it led to more cases being discovered.
He described testing as a 'double-edged sword'.
Almost 120,000 people have died with Covid-19 in the US since the pandemic began, a number that health experts say could have been much higher had testing not been ramped up.
