NOT MY FAULT

Team Trump Blames Protesters for Low Turnout at Tulsa Rally

Trump’s campaign manager claims “radical protesters” prevented supporters from entering the building.

President Donald Trump, holding his first campaign rally since coronavirus precautions halted large events, addressed a crowd smaller than the packed house his campaign touted prior to the gathering. Brad Parscale, Trump’s campaign manager, tried to explain the apparently lean crowds on Twitter: “Radical protestors, fueled by a week of apocalyptic media coverage, interfered with @realDonaldTrump supporters at the rally. They even blocked access to the metal detectors, preventing people from entering.” In the days before the rally, Parscale bragged that a million people had signed up for tickets. The BOK Center, where the gathering took place, has a capacity of 19,000 people, but photos from the event show that it was nowhere near capacity as Trump spoke. The rally drew significant criticism before it began because public health experts, including Trump’s own advisers, warned that convening so many people posed an increased risk of spreading the new coronavirus. The commander-in-chief also cancelled his remarks to an overflow audience that were slated to take place on an outdoor stage near the arena.