Trump refers to ‘kung flu,’ West Point ramp and ‘sleepy Joe Biden’ as he returns to campaign at Tulsa rally – By Will Steakin and Ivan Pereira (ABC News) / June 20 2020
Oklahoma health officials had recommended the president postpone the event.
President Donald Trump touched on everything from COVID-19 to the NFL and his much-dissected walk down a ramp at West Point in his first campaign rally in months on Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
As the country reels from the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide calls for racial injustice, the announcement of the president’s first rally since March had inflamed concerns over both issues.
Health experts around the country, including in Oklahoma, raised concerns about the president packing thousands of supporters, who have to agree not to sue the campaign or the president if they get sick, inside for a rally as COVID-19 cases rise in the state. In the end, the crowd turned out to be large, but plenty of empty seats were available.
Protests both before and after the event were mostly peaceful, though police fired tear gas and pepper balls at demonstrators after the event let out.
President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he enters his first re-election campaign rally in several months in the midst of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, June 20, 2020.
Leah Millis/Reuters
As Trump ended his rally after nearly two hours, he brought up his plans to rebuild America’s roads, complete his border wall and protect the country from foreign threats.
After saying he would defend the county’s freedoms of religion, free thought and speech, he made one final reference to the recent Black Lives Matter protests around the country and said he would protect the Second Amendment.
“When you see those lunatics all over the streets, it is damn nice to have arms,” he said to cheers. “Interesting how all of a sudden people understand it, right?”
Continue to article: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-heads-tulsa-return-rally-amid-pandemic-mounting/story?id=71307799&cid=clicksource_4380645_2_heads_hero_live_hero_hed
