President Donald Trump announced he has rescheduled a rally to be held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to June 20 from June 19, following requests to move the date, as hundreds of thousands of people made requests for tickets.
The original date would “unfortunately” fall on a holiday known as Juneteenth, Trump said in a social media missive.
“Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday, and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents,” he said.
“I have therefore decided to move our rally to Saturday, June 20th, in order to honor their requests. We have already had ticket requests in excess of 200,000 people. I look forward to seeing everyone in Oklahoma!”
…of respect for this Holiday, and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents. I have therefore decided to move our rally to Saturday, June 20th, in order to honor their requests…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2020
…We have already had ticket requests in excess of 200,000 people. I look forward to seeing everyone in Oklahoma!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2020
Trump’s campaign manager, Brad Parscale, wrote on June 14 that the number of rally ticket requests had reached more than 800,000.
The original rally date, June 19—also known as Juneteenth—is an annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
Trump said the date wasn’t set to coincide with the holiday on purpose, in an interview with Fox News that aired June 12.
“It’s going to be really a celebration and it’s an interesting date, it wasn’t done for that reason, but it’s an interesting date,” Trump said.
The president’s last rally was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, on March 2. The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes the disease COVID-19, prompted most governors to implement lockdowns and stay-at-home orders that month. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump rallies typically drew tens of thousands of people.
The Trump administration in mid-April unveiled a three-phase set of guidelines titled “Opening Up America Again,” intended for state and local officials to refer to in “reopening their economies, getting people back to work, and continuing to protect American lives.”
The guidelines aim to help ease restrictions in areas of the country where the transmission rate of the CCP virus is low, while maintaining the restrictions in areas of higher rates of transmission.
Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
