Donald Trump's campaign in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was not quite as he and his followers had planned. After almost a million RSVPs and the construction of a huge outdoor stage for overflows, very few people had attended the event. Some news agencies estimate the number to be around 10,000 – not nearly enough to fill the hall themselves.
Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have reportedly canceled their planned speeches before the "overflow" crowd after supporters failed to materialize.
An outdoor stage had been set up to accommodate the thousands who would otherwise not fit into the 19,000-seat BOK center where the president hosted his first rally since March. The Trump campaign said they had a million ticket requests, but they texted fans just minutes before the rally was scheduled, "There's still room."
Outside the arena, the police cordoned off six blocks for the expected crowds, but there were no people. Trump's and Vice President Mike Pence's speeches were canceled by the campaign.
The Trump campaign blamed the demonstrators for the lack of a crowd, an excuse that doesn't hold up to multiple accounts and live feeds that show the streets clearly and empty until the rally starts.
“Unfortunately, demonstrators disturbed the supporters and even blocked access to the metal detectors, which prevented people from attending the rally. Radical demonstrators coupled with a relentless rush of the media tried to scare the president's followers away. We are proud of the thousands who made it, ”said Tim Murtaugh, communications director of the Trump campaign, in a statement.
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There were also empty seats in the arena.
New York City MP Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter that thousands of TikToking protesters reserved thousands of tickets, making the Trump campaign believe they would have a sold-out crowd.
The rally was supposed to restart Trump's presidential re-election efforts, which have been accompanied by the coronavirus pandemic in recent months. The President's approval rating has deteriorated due to his handling of the COVID 19 outbreak and the fact that he has spoken out against racial injustices since George Floyd's death on May 25. Polls show that democratic rival Joe Biden wins in November.
Below are pictures of Donald Trump's largely empty Tulsa rally.
