The editorial board at the daily paper Tulsa World decried President Donald Trump’s decision to hold a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma in a searing op-ed published on Sunday.
“We don’t know why he chose Tulsa, but we can’t see any way that his visit will be good for the city,” the board members wrote.
They pointed out the health risks posed by the rally, given how the city is still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The op-ed also argued that Trump’s presence in Tulsa would further inflame tensions amid anti-police brutality protests resulting from George Floyd’s death.
“Trump, a divisive figure, will attract protests, the vast majority of which we expect to be peaceful,” the editorial team wrote. “But there may also be confrontation and inappropriate behavior from some.”
They asserted that there is “no reason to think” the rally would boost Trump’s chances of winning the Tulsa in November given the controversy over him holding the event there in the first place.
“This is the wrong place for the rally,” the board wrote. “When the President of the United States visits your city, it should be exciting. We think a Trump visit will be, but for a lot of the wrong reasons, and we can’t welcome it.”
The Trump campaign had originally scheduled the rally for June 19, aka “Juneteenth,” which marks the anniversary of the end of slavery. Trump later pushed back the event to June 20 after overwhelming backlash.
