President Trump will take the stage Saturday night at the most controversial rally of his presidency to date.
Rallies have been a hallmark of Trump’s entire brand, and his campaign is eager to get him back in front of a boisterous crowd of thousands of supporters.
But this rally will take place during a pandemic that has killed nearly 120,000 Americans and counting. Public health experts warn it is dangerous to group thousands of people together indoors and professional sports leagues are preparing to return in “bubbles.”
The rally also comes amid nationwide protests over police violence against African Americans. Trump was initially to hold the rally on Juneteenth, a holiday that marks the end of slavery. He shifted it to Saturday in response to criticism, but reignited controversy a few days later by claiming he made the annual celebration recognized by millions of people “very famous.”
Tulsa, Okla., is the site of a terrible tragedy where hundreds of African Americans were killed in 1921. The Tulsa World editorial board wrote this week that it was the wrong place and wrong time for Trump to be holding a rally.