Washington: United States President Donald Trump on Sunday held his first campaign rally since the US coronavirus lockdown began, in front of a smaller than expected crowd. Mr Trump had boasted earlier this week that almost a million people had requested tickets for the event at Tulsa''s Bank of Oklahoma Center. But the 19,000-seat arena was far from full and forcing his campaign to drop plans for him to address an outside ''overflow'' area, BBC reported There had been concerns about holding the rally in the midst of the COVID pandemic.
Coronavirus was one issue Mr Trump touched on in his wide-ranging, almost two-hour-long speech to cheering supporters in Oklahoma, which is a Republican heartland. Mr Trump told his supporters that he told officials to slow down testing for COVID-19 because so many cases were being detected, which was later described as a joke. Those attending the rally had to sign a waiver absolving the Trump campaign from responsibility for any illness. Hours before the event began, officials said six staff members involved in organising the rally had tested positive.
However, it is unclear why the attendance at the Tulsa rally was lower than anticipated. Mr Trump referred to those in the stadium as "warriors" while blaming the media and protesters for keeping supporters away. There were some volatile scenes outside the venue but no serious trouble was reported.
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