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By Annie Karni, Astead W. Herndon and Katie Glueck from NYT U.S.
Will the thousands of Trump supporters wear masks? What time is the rally? How will President Trump talk about race? What protests will he face? Here’s what you need to know.
- President Trump is scheduled to attend two events in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday: at 7 p.m. Eastern time, he will deliver brief remarks at what the White House called a “Great American Comeback Celebration” event, and then he will attend a rally inside the BOK Center scheduled for 8 p.m.
- This Mr. Trump’s first rally since March 2. Joining him will be Vice President Mike Pence, Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma and almost a dozen House members, among others.
- Tulsa health officials have expressed concerns about conducting the rally in a large, indoor arena while coronavirus cases in Oklahoma are on the rise. The city’s top health official recommended postponing the rally.
- The rally was originally scheduled for Friday, June 19, the Juneteenth holiday. Mr. Trump moved it a day after public pressure and quiet lobbying from some West Wing officials and outside allies.
- Times reporters are in Tulsa and will provide coverage of the rally and events in the city at nytimes.com.
Trump is walking on the edge
TULSA, Okla. — President Trump is determined to try to have a political comeback rally in spite of the devastating health and economic crises that have unfolded on his watch, as well as the nationwide protests against racism that have left him on the defensive.
But he is walking on the edge in several ways.
He hopes to pack the 19,000-seat BOK Center and show that America is reopening, but he doesn’t want to bear responsibility for creating a “super spreader” event that sickens his most die-hard supporters. (See: waivers the campaign is requiring from attendees so it can’t be blamed if people catch the coronavirus.)
The health guidance for rallygoers reflects those contradictory ambitions. Brad Parscale, Mr. Trump’s campaign manager, said he would distribute masks outside the arena and wear one himself, but wouldn’t require people to wear them inside. Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary, said Friday she did not plan to cover her face.
Then there is the timing: Mr. Trump will arrive in Tulsa a day after Juneteenth, and at a time when many Americans are grappling with the country’s racist history. His campaign is trying to spin the visit as an effort to shed light on African-American history, rather than to be insensitive to it.
