The US President Donald Trump is to hold the first re-election campaign rally for several months in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 19, the same day that African Americans celebrate the end of slavery. The city of Tulsa was the site with one of the worst massacres of black people in the US in 1921.
This comes amid weeks of anti-racism protests across the cities in the country, sparked by the death of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis police custody. Trump’s campaign officials said while announcing the day of the rally, that the Republic party is proud of its role in ending slavery and winning the Civil War.
In March, due to the coronavirus outbreak across the US, Trump’s election campaign, which is seen as vital for energizing his base months before the polls, was suspended. Though the incumbent President still lags behind his democratic rival, Joe Biden, in the polls.
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While announcing the venue for the rally, President alluded to the low rate of coronavirus infection in Oklahoma. As of Wednesday, it has recorded nearly 7,500 confirmed cases of coronavirus.
Trump added that the election campaign rallies would also take place in Texas, Arizona, and Florida; however, he made no mention of the safety precautions and whether the social distancing would be applied. He further rejected calls to rename the military bases named after confederate generals.
Juneteenth, an annual commemoration of the end of slavery, celebrated mostly by African Americans. However, it is not a federal holiday. They celebrate the reading of the famous Emancipation Proclamation in Texas to enslaved African Americans.
However, his political opponents, including his main rival, Biden, have criticized the selection of the venue for a campaign rally. Katrina Pearson, Trump’s media aide, defended the choice of the venue and said in a statement that the party of the Civil War victor, Abraham is proud of ending slavery and winning the war.
She further added that President Trump had built a record success for African Americans in the US. Kamau Marshall, Biden’s senior aide, criticized the decision of venue and called Trump a racist.
Following the death of George Floyd after being knelt on the neck for more than 8 minutes in Minneapolis police custody, thousands of people have taken to streets to protest the police brutality and systematic racism. It has also triggered the soul searching about America’s racist past.
On Wednesday, President Trump took to Twitter and said that the military bases named after the confederate generals had become part of the ‘’American history’’ of winning battles and freedom. Kayleigh McEnany, the white house press secretary, later said that renaming the bases is an absolute ‘’non-starter’’ for Donald Trump.
This comes after the media reports of the military officials open to the changes amid nationwide soul searching after Floyd’s death. For many in the US Confederacy evokes a racist past. Confederate monuments have also been the frequent target of the angry protesters.
In Virginia, the statue of Jefferson Davis, the President of the confederacy, was brought down by the protesters on Wednesday. According to the media reports, in the city of Portsmouth, protesters attacked a confederate monument, tearing down four statues.
