President Donald Trump’s aides are rethinking how to prepare future campaign rallies following the disappointing attendance and unfavorable coverage of his Tulsa, Oklahoma, event last Saturday, CNN reports.
Reports emerged after the rally that Trump was furious with his aides because the press discovered that six advance team staffers had tested positive for the coronavirus. This news dominated the coverage leading up to the event. He was also unhappy with the small crowd, as according to the Tulsa fire marshal, only 6,200 people attended the rally in an arena that seats more than 19,000.
According to the news network, Trump aides had hoped to see Trump deliver a firm rebuttal to former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee, in a crowded arena. Instead, he gave what CNN describes as a “disjointed” speech where he defended his slow, halting walk down a ramp and habit of drinking water with both hands to a half-full arena.
CNN’s sources say that aides are looking to hold future rallies at outdoor venues, where people might feel safer congregating due to the coronavirus pandemic. One Trump campaign official said that they may hold more rallies in airplane hangars, which was common during his 2016 campaign, while others said that the campaign may look at booking smaller venues instead, like he did during the 2018 midterm elections while campaigning for Republicans.
None of CNN’s sources said that the campaign is considering canceling rallies entirely.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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