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President Trump roared back onto the campaign trail Saturday night with a rally before thousands of supporters in Tulsa, Okla., using the fiery and freewheeling appearance to mock Democratic foe Joe Biden, criticize those tearing down monuments to controversial historical figures and decry what he described as the “disaster” demonstration in Seattle.
Trump tore into the occupation of a part of Seattle by left-wing protesters, which included an abandoned police precinct, saying it is an example of the “radical left,” and comparing that against his campaign’s “law and order” platform. The occupants, whom Trump described as “anarchists,” call their area the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, or CHOP.
“We’re not talking about some little place, we’re talking about Seattle,” Trump said, tearing into the Democratic officials in Seattle and Washington state. He said he had a standing offer that “any time you want, we’ll come in” and straighten out the issues in Seattle “in an hour or less.”
But, he said: “I may be wrong, but it’s probably better for us to just watch that disaster.”
Trump added that a congressman on the flight to the rally told him he shouldn’t step in to end the CHOP occupation in order to let people see “what radical left Democrats will do to our country.”
He also mentioned “radicals” that targeted statues of Thomas Jefferson and Christopher Columbus in recent days and said that a law should be passed that burning the American flag should result in a year in jail.
Trump also said that “silent majority is stronger than ever” and touted Republicans as the “party of Abraham Lincoln” and “law and order,” in comments appearing to indicate how he will frame his reelection campaign as the November election approaches.
Trump made the declaration in one of his trademark rallies where thousands streamed into the BOK Center — amid protests outside and lingering controversy over the potential coronavirus risk. Trump early in his remarks also touted reform to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the breakneck pace as which the Senate has confirmed his judicial nominees and tax cut legislation he signed into law.
“I stand before you today to declare that the silent majority is stronger than ever before,” Trump told the raucous crowd. “Five months from now we’re going to defeat sleepy Joe Biden… We’re going to stop the radical left. We’re going to build a future of safety and opportunity … Republicans are the party of liberty, equality and justice for all. We are the party of Abraham Lincoln and we are the party of law and order.”
It is the president’s first rally since early March, when both Trump and his Democratic opponent Joe Biden canceled in-person campaign events as the seriousness of the coronavirus crisis began to set in. But Trump, who for months has been itching to get the country’s economy back to normal and get himself back in front of supporters at his rallies, where he appears to be most in his element, is the first to resume large in-person events.
Trump also spent a significant amount of time addressing criticism he got for what appeared to be a ginger walk down a ramp and an awkward sip from a glass of water at a West Point graduation earlier this month. Trump defended himself, alluded that Joe Biden had health issues instead of himself, then took a sip of water to loud cheers from the crowd, before tossing the water out of the glass.
“That’s enough, I wanted to tell that story, does everybody understand that story,” the president concluded.
OKLAHOMA SUPREME COURT ALLOWS TRUMP RALLY TO PROCEED AS PLANNED; TULSA MAYOR RESCINDS CURFEW
The president, in comments on the South Lawn of the White House on Saturday, said he was excited to get back among his supporters.
“The event in Oklahoma is unbelievable,” he said. “The crowds are unbelievable, they haven’t seen anything like it and we will go there now, we’ll give a hopefully good speech, we’re gonna see a lot of great people, a lot of great friends and pretty much that’s it.”
In advance of the Saturday event, Trump supporters have been lining up for days to secure their seat in an arena that holds just under 20,000, and the Trump campaign touted Monday receiving over 1 million ticket requests.
But the potential for the rally to be a “super spreader” event has concerned observers, especially as six members of the Trump reelection campaign tested positive for the coronavirus ahead of the event.
TULSA, OKLAHOMA – JUNE 20: Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump gather to attend a campaign rally at the BOK Center, June 20, 2020 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Trump is scheduled to hold his first political rally since the start of the coronavirus pandemic at the BOK Center on Saturday while infection rates in the state of Oklahoma continue to rise. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
TRUMP PREPARES FOR FIRST CAMPAIGN RALLY IN MONTHS IN TULSA AMID CONCERNS ABOUT CORONAVIRUS, VIOLENCE
“Per safety protocols, campaign staff are tested for COVID-19 before events,” Trump campaign Communications Director Tim Murtaugh said in a statement. “Six members of the advance team tested positive out of hundreds of tests performed, and quarantine procedures were immediately implemented. No COVID-positive staffers or anyone in immediate contact will be at today’s rally or near attendees and elected officials. As previously announced, all rally attendees are given temperature checks before going through security, at which point they are given wristbands, facemasks and hand sanitizer.”
The campaign believes the staffers were infected in Dallas at the Trump event there. All six are said to be asymptomatic and the campaign is working with health authorities to contact trace the staffers who tested positive.
Biden in a Saturday evening tweet slammed Trump for holding the rally despite the coronavirus concerns — Oklahoma has seen a recent bump in cases of the disease.
TULSA ARENA ASKS TRUMP CAMPAIGN FOR WRITTEN COVID-19 MITIGATION PLAN AHEAD OF RALLY
“Donald Trump is so eager to get back to his campaign rallies that he’s willing to put people at risk and violate CDC guidelines — as long as they sign a waiver promising not to hold his campaign liable. Unbelievable,” Biden tweeted.
This followed the BOK Center asking the Trump campaign this week for a written plan on how it would engage in social distancing among the rally-goers. The Trump campaign appeared to dismiss the arena’s concerns, making clear that the event would be an on-brand Trump rally.
“We take safety seriously, which is why we’re doing temperature checks for everyone attending, and providing masks and hand sanitizer. This will be a Trump rally, which means a big, boisterous, excited crowd,” Trump campaign Communications Director Tim Murtaugh said in a statement.
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The Saturday rally was originally scheduled for Friday, June 19. But that day is the Juneteenth holiday, which celebrates the end of slavery int the United States. Amid recent racial tensions over the death of George Floyd, the Trump campaign changed the date of the event to Saturday.
Fox News’ Mark Merideth, Brooke Singman Adam Shaw, Russell Cosby, John Roberts and Allie Raffa, and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
