Trump found the grandstands, despite the virus and without the crowds expected

“This is the bad side : when you do this volume of testing, there are more people, there are more cases,” said Donald Trump at this first gathering that was held during the pandemic in the United States.

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June 20, 2020 16.55

Updated at 23h01

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Trump found the grandstands, despite the virus and without the crowds expected

Laurent BANGUET

Agence France-Presse

Jerome Advocacy

Agence France-Presse

TULSA — Ignoring the warnings on the coronavirus, Donald Trump has once again resumed on Saturday night with the gatherings which he loves but without the crowds expected to give a boost to a re-election campaign improperly engaged.

Pretending to be in a form that is vivid, the american president has taken with a vengeance to her democratic opponent Joe Biden, called the “puppet” to both the “radical left” and China, and presented as a politician who “never done anything” in a half-century career in Washington.

In a speech disjointed by almost two hours, Donald Trump is posed as the defender of “law and order” and called on the Americans to go to the polls on November 3 to ensure him a second term of four years.

But the room that was to consecrate this back in marching band was not full, far from it. And the many rows of empty seats have not helped to give the image of a candidate who has been able to find a second breath.

His campaign manager, Brad Parscale, has acknowledged that the figures were below expectations, designating them as responsible for the “protesters radicals” and “a week of media coverage of apocalyptic”.

A first short address of the president, originally scheduled for outside of the room for the unlucky ones who would not have access to, has been cancelled at the last minute.

On Monday, Donald Trump had assured in a tweet that “nearly a million” people had requested tickets for this appointment.

AP, Evan Vucci

A first short address of the president, originally scheduled for outside of the room for the unlucky ones who would not have access to, has been cancelled at the last minute.

Brad Parscale, his campaign manager, acknowledged that the figures were not at the height of his hopes, denouncing the attitude of “protesters radicals” and “a week of media coverage of apocalyptic”.

On Monday, Donald Trump had assured in a tweet that “nearly a million” people had requested tickets for this appointment.

Six members of the campaign team Trump have been tested positive to the COVID-19 and 19 are placed in quarantine a few hours before the gathering.

AP, Charlie Riedel

“Slow down the screening”

Trying to regain the tone of the gatherings have played a central role in his victory-surprise of 2016, the us president, 74-year-old assured that he was, contrary to his opponent’s 77 years old, in full physical form.

“If there is a problem, I’ll let you know”, he started, returning to hold a ceremony at the prestigious West Point military academy, during which he had seemed to give signs of fatigue.

“There is something that is not going on (Joe) Biden, I can tell you”, he added.

In spite of his campaign to mute the confinement, the former vice-president of Barack Obama has only recently taken off in the polls in front of Donald Trump.

In front of a room where a few of his supporters wore masks of protection, it has vigorously defended its decisions in the face of the COVID-19, that it has again qualified as a “virus”chinese.

“I have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, but nobody salutes ever our work”, he launched.

The president of the world’s leading power has estimated that the tests were “a double-edged sword”: “When you do this volume of testing, there are more people, there are more cases”.

And, in the process, he added in a tone it seems ironic: “So I said “Slow down the screening””.

“He was joking of course, denouncing the media coverage absurd”, then indicated to the AFP an official of the White House, under the cover of anonymity.

A few hours before the start of the rally, six members of his campaign team had tested positive to the COVID-19 and placed in quarantine

According to the campaign team Trump, the temperature of all members of the public was taken at the entrance and masks and disinfectant gel always available.

The first gathering of the republican president since the kick-off of his campaign on the ground, stunned by the pandemic COVID-19 at the beginning of march, has stirred up a great controversy, many are concerned about the health consequences of such a large crowd coming from all the United States.

Until now, relatively untouched, Oklahoma is currently experiencing a strong surge in cases detected.

Between “Trumpistes” demonstrators and anti-racism, local authorities had been told to expect up to 100,000 people in Tulsa, in the State’s conservative south of the United States all acquired to his cause.

Shouting slogans against Donald Trump and racism, some 1000 demonstrators marched toward the hall of gathering.

AFP, Brendan Smaliowski

“Bullshit !”

“We’re here to show that we support the president Trump and that we, the people, will win the election in 2020, regardless of what the media are saying fake news and other multinationals liberal, leftist and who seek to control our minds”, explained earlier Brad, a beefy guy who like many others was wearing a T-shirt and cap bearing the effigy of his idol.

And the fear of the COVID-19? “Bullshit! They lie about the numbers.”

The other major subject of controversy, the selection of Donald Trump to organize his big return around the commemorations of the end of slavery, and in a city still marked by one of the worst massacres racial in american history, the murder of some 300 African-Americans by a mob of white, in 1921.

“A true slap in the face”, according to the local head of the movement Black Lives Matter, which organized a small gathering in the upstream of the gathering in a city park.

In the full historical movement of anger against racism and police violence, Donald Trump had initially chosen to organize his rally on June 19, or “Juneteenth”, the date commemorating the emancipation of the last slaves in the United States.

Before the scandal, he had moved to the next day.

Le Soleil