President Donald Trump is dismissing coronavirus concerns ahead of his upcoming rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Trump spoke with Gray TV’s Jacqueline Policastro where he was asked about the surge in coronavirus cases. Policastro noted that currently, there are 22 states —including Oklahoma— battling significant upticks in cases, with some of those states reporting more than 2,000 to 4,000 cases in a single day.
When asked if he concerned about the rally accelerating the spread of the virus, the president stated that he is not worried. He also insisted that the virus is “dying out.”
“No, because if you look the numbers are very minuscule compared to where it was,” Trump said to the reporter, later adding, “It’s dying out.”
Trump went on to boast about the number of people requesting to attend the event revealing more than 1 million people have signed up to receive tickets for the upcoming rally.
See Trump’s remarks below:
REPORTER: Coronavirus cases are rising in 22 states, including Oklahoma, where you plan to hold a big rally this week. Aren't you worried about people getting sick?
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) June 18, 2020
TRUMP: No, because if you look, the numbers are very minuscule compared to what it was. It's dying out. pic.twitter.com/xWIOO3ja2c
The president also noted that Oklahoma is one of the states with a relatively lower number of coronavirus cases.
“Oklahoma, one of the reasons we chose it, is they’ve been very low in terms of… and they’ve done a fantastic job. The governor has done a fantastic job.”
Trump’s remarks about the coronavirus follow reports about the new disclaimer that has been added to the event registration page on his re-election campaign website.
Although the president has assured he is not concerned about the coronavirus spreading, all rally-goers are required to acknowledge that there is a possibility they can contract the virus while attending the rally, as previously reported on IJR.
On Wednesday, James Lankford (R-Okla.) also discussed the upcoming rally. While he did note that the president is always welcome in Oklahoma, he is urging those who “have co-morbidities, if you are older, or you have other health issues” not to attend.
As of Thursday afternoon, there are more than 2.2 million cases in the United States, including 8,904 cases in Oklahoma. The death toll now stands at 120,000.
