TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa is just days away from welcoming President Donald Trump to the BOK Center for his first campaign rally in more than three months.
"The rally will be happening at the BOK Center. That is confirmed at this point, but we will as always with every rally we do, we will have an outdoor component," said Erin Perrine, deputy director of communications for the Trump campaign. "We will have an outdoor setup with a jumbo-tron and speakers. If you can't get inside due to size limitations when it comes to a presidential rally, they'll be able to enjoy the event outside. That's really standard for us when we have overflow crowds."
So, why Tulsa?
"President Trump is very excited to get to Oklahoma, to go to Tulsa as we begin to reopen the country after coronavirus," Perrine said. "Oklahoma is one of the most open states in the country at this point. It's a great place for the president with a bunch of supporters, a lot of enthusiasm."
Here's what to expect if you plan to attend:
"Folks should know that when they come to the President's rally, kind of treat it like you're going to the airport," Perrine said. "Have as little on you as you can. No large objects. You can't bring water bottles or chairs or items into the arena with you. We have to try and keep things as minimal as possible as they come into the arena which will be a clean space for Secret Service standards for the president's arrival."
Despite having to sign a COVID-19 liability waiver upon entry, the campaign says safety precautions will be taken.
"Before people even get inside the building, the campaign and the president take the health and safety of the American people very seriously," Perrine said. "We are putting additional health and safety measures in place to ensure a safe rally experience for all rally goers. There will be temperature checks of everybody who comes to President Trump's rally. We will be providing hand sanitizer to every individual plus having it readily available throughout, and we will be providing everybody with a mask to be able to wear while they're at the rally. We are taking necessary precautions to make this as safe a rally as we can."
As for who will be paying for the extra law enforcement to secure the area Saturday, the campaign says the Secret Service handles that.
When we asked the Secret Service that question, and they sent us this statement:
The Secret Service enjoys a long history of successful partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. These relationships help provide a safe environment for our protectees and we are thankful for their assistance. However, the Secret Service is neither authorized, nor appropriated funding to pay or reimburse our state and local partners for costs associated with a respective visit. We ask our state and local law enforcement partners to raise financial and logistical concerns with us during the security advance process. In the event that a state or local police department cannot fulfill requests that the Secret Service makes during the advance process, other arrangements can be coordinated prior to the visit.
The rally is planned for June 20 at the BOK Center with overflow audiences going to the Cox Convention Center.
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