Donald Trump Says The Left is Trying To ‘Covid Shame’ Him Into Canceling His Rallies
President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Monday to criticize the “Far Left Fake News Media” for trying to “COVID shame” him into canceling his upcoming rallies.
“The Far Left Fake News Media, which had no Covid problem with the Rioters & Looters destroying Democrat run cities, is trying to Covid Shame us on our big Rallies. Won’t work!” he wrote.
Trump has faced criticism for planning to bring back his campaign rallies to states across the country, even as many areas are still facing an uptick in cases of the deadly novel coronavirus.
The president has repeatedly claimed that the progressive media has a tacit approval for the ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd, but that it is against his hosting rallies.
Floyd died while in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25. The unarmed black man pleaded with the officer kneeling on his neck, warning him that he couldn’t breathe, before calling out for his deceased mother and becoming unresponsive. He was later declared dead at a local hospital.
In the wake of his death, protests spread across the globe, and many images and media coverage show demonstrators gathering in close proximity without wearing masks, as the CDC recommends. Media coverage of the protests has largely focused on the messages and events happening at the protests, though there have been several stories covering the potential for the gatherings to cause renewed outbreaks of COVID-19.
At the same time, media outlets have reported that campaign rallies could endanger those who choose to attend.
Little over an hour apart. pic.twitter.com/K2a7fGRNDd
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) June 15, 2020
It appears that the Trump campaign is aware of the danger, after putting a disclaimer on tickets that anyone who contracts the disease while at a rally can’t sue if they fall ill.
The president has scheduled an upcoming rally in Tusla, Oklahoma, slated for June 20. Meanwhile, Oklahoma has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases in recent days and public health officials in the state have warned that the rally event could create another wave of the virus in the state that could threaten to overwhelm health facilities.
Dr. Bruce Dart, Tusla City-County Health Department director, said that he is worried about the situation, as The Inquistr previously reported.
“I’m concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large, indoor event, and I’m also concerned about our ability to ensure the president stays safe as well,” he said.
Beyond the health implications, the rally date itself has been a point of contention. Originally, the event was scheduled to take place on June 19, known as Juneteenth, the memorial of the day that the last enslaved people were set free in the United States.
Additionally, Tusla is the location of one of the worst race massacres in American history, prompting some critics to wonder if the choice of venue was an intentional message about race.
