Dr. Gupta: Trump Tulsa rally risks an anatomy of an outbreak

Tulsa March: Trump tempts fate during epidemic while threatening protesters

Trump is seeking to divert public attention from his very difficult week, which included a series of explosive shells unveiled in a new book by his former national security adviser John Bolton, who described Trump as unfit for the White House, and two setbacks for his administration on gay rights and immigration in the Supreme Court. Late Friday evening, Trump’s chief prosecutor tried to topple a strong American lawyer who investigated several of the president’s aides, but the chief prosecutor in Manhattan refused to step down.
The president hopes to demonstrate Energetic and determined While America faces a pandemic, economic collapse and enthusiastic demonstrations against racism, while his opponent, Joe Biden, described it as an aging political remnant, its supporters lack the enthusiasm to try. A Trump campaign spokesman told CNN this week that the rally would signal the rest of the country “it’s time to get things moving again.”
Visit the CNN Election Center for full coverage of the 2020 race
But by gathering his supporters at the Tulsa Bank Square in the Oklahoma Center – an indoor venue for 19,000 people – the president enthusiastically ignores each of the principles set by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for community gatherings, as noted by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a member of CNN on Friday.
Trump has shown his disdain for science, reason and expert advice, especially if it conflicts with his political goals. Even when he holds the highest position on earth, he subtly refined his image as a stranger working from the inside in the eyes of his loyal base.

His instinct enjoyed division while pursuing the former vice president with double figures in national opinion polls, Trump raised fears of street clashes in Tulsa when he warned in a tweet on Friday that law enforcement authorities would not tolerate protesters.

“Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, thieves or defenders will go to Oklahoma, please understand, you will not be treated as if you were in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis. The scene will be much different!” chirp.

White House press secretary Kylie McNanny insisted later on Friday that the president was referring to “violent demonstrators, anarchists, thieves”, although it was the administration that was scrutinized to use force to repel peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square.

Tulsa health concerns abound

Enthusiastic supporters of the president have been queuing for days in Tulsa hoping to be among the first to enter his career, while public health officials fear that the rally could lead to a rapid spread of Covid-19 in a state already experiencing a spike in cases.

Trump, who has confirmed that the virus is “fading” – in direct contrast to the facts – has admitted that he and his advisers initially chose the Tulsa Rally site in part because Oklahoma, a deep red state long voted for Republicans, appears to have fewer coronavirus infections.

But this has changed in recent weeks. CNN’s analysis of coronavirus data from Johns Hopkins University shows that the number of new Covid-19 cases is increasing every day – and Tulsa is a particularly worrying area.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Tulsa Health Department Director, Dr. Bruce Dart said that Tulsa set a new daily record for coronavirus cases this week.

“Let me be clear. Anyone who plans to attend a large gathering will face an increased risk of contracting Covid 19,” Dart said.

Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith expressed her dismay at the scene on the streets of Tulsa during an interview on Friday on CNN’s “Situation Room”.

“Nobody wears masks, and you know people come, Wolf, from all over the country – so they can enter from hotspots,” Keith told Wolf Blitzer on CNN, noting that the city expects an additional 40,000 additional 60,000 people outside the square. . “We love welcoming people in our city, but now that we’re on the rise … the timing is very difficult.”

The Trump campaign has said it plans to conduct temperature checks and provide antiseptics and masks to attend, but no one will be required to wear them.

Upon registering for this event, the marchers were asked to agree to the disclaimer indicating that “there is an inherent risk of exposure to Covid-19 in any public place where people are present.”

“By attending the rally, you and any other voluntary guests assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold Donald J. Trump to the President, Company; BOK Center; ASM Global; or any of their subsidiaries or managers, officers, employees, agents, contractors, and volunteers. Responsible for any illness or injury. “

The politically charged controversy over masks made the risks of attending the gathering more serious. Trump has never worn a mask in public, and people around him are tested in the White House frequently, giving him extra safety.

But he acknowledged this week that wearing masks has become a polarized issue. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, he said that some people could wear masks to show their rejection of him.

However, when the Wall Street Journal reporter Michael C. Bandar was asked if he was comfortable with his supporters wearing masks in the Tulsa march, Trump said, “Absolutely.”

“They can wear it or not. I want them to be happy,” he said.

The irony of Trump’s lights in Juneteenth

The president decided to drop the opportunity to engage in a national debate about systematic racism in the United States – instead calling for “law and order” and issuing divisive tweets like his Friday speech that put protesters in the same category as “anarchists, agitators, thieves or low.” He sparked a separate controversy on Thursday night by tweeting a reported viral video reported by Twitter as “tampered media” and removed later.
However, the uproar over his initial decision to hold the rally in Tulsa on June 19 appears to be paradoxical, as it has led to much greater national recognition for the day commemorating the end of slavery. Amid the national protests that followed the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police, Trump rescheduled the rally in what he described as a sign of respect for Juneteenth.

Both black and white leaders pleaded with Trump to change history.

This week, governors in more than six states, including Louisiana, Kansas, North Carolina, Nevada, and Vermont, are taking measures to commemorate Juneteenth.

In Kansas, for example, Democratic Governor Laura Kelly signed a declaration on Friday declaring June 19 as the nineteenth National Freedom Day. “Juneteenth is not just a day to celebrate the end of slavery,” Kelly told a news conference on Friday. “It is an opportunity to acknowledge the country’s conflicting history, reflect on our struggle to achieve true freedom for all Americans, and pledge to continue fighting to end systematic racism.”

Sen. John Cornen, a Republican from Texas, said on Thursday that he will introduce legislation to make the day a federal holiday, as many Democratic Senators have done.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal this week, Trump was quoted as saying that he had made “Juneteenth very popular.”

“It is indeed an important event, it is an important time. But no one heard about it,” he said in the interview. He added that an African American Secret Service agent knew what was celebrated today, but Trump said he had politicians “who have no idea.”

At a news conference on Friday, McNaney said Trump “has not only learned about Juneteenth this week. This is simply not true,” she said.

McNani did not say whether the president was planning to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.

Kay Jones and Holly Silverman of CNN contributed to this report.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *