Trump To Hold Indoor Nevada Rally Despite State Covid-19 Restrictions
by Andrew SolenderTopline
President Trump’s rally in Henderson, Nevada, on Sunday night will be held inside an Xtreme Manufacturing warehouse despite state restrictions on mass gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Key Facts
Trump’s recent rallies, which have been held outdoors and in airport hangers, have been attended by thousands of supporters, often without social distancing or widespread mask wearing amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
This will be Trump’s first indoor rally since his Tulsa, Oklahoma, rally in June, which, despite only filling a third of the stadium’s capacity due to underwhelming turnout, was traced to an outbreak by local health officials.
The event will likely violate Nevada’s restrictions on indoor gatherings of more than 50 people, put in place by Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak in May.
Trump has been outspoken in his opposition to Sisolak, claiming at a Latinos for Trump roundtable on Sunday that the governor “totally shut down” the state and that it is one of the most shut down states, and boasting a crowd of “tens of thousands” at his Saturday rally despite reports of turnout in the low thousands, the Nevada Independent reported.
The campaign said that attendees will be provided with temperature checks, hand sanitizer and masks, which they will be “encouraged” to wear.
Crucial Quote
“If you can join tens of thousands of people protesting in the streets, gamble in a casino, or burn down small businesses in riots, you can gather peacefully under the 1st Amendment to hear from the President of the United States,” Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said in defense of the decision to hold an indoor rally.
Big Number
73,539. That’s how many coronavirus cases Nevada has had, with 1,454 deaths, according to the New York Times. The outbreak has slowed considerably since its peak in the Silver State, but the state still reported 405 new cases and 12 new deaths on Saturday.
Chief Critic
Trump’s Democratic opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, has taken a diametrically opposite approach to coronavirus restrictions, adhering carefully to state guidelines. Biden’s event in Michigan earlier this month featured fewer than 100 people, primarily staff and reporters, all of whom were strictly socially distanced in stark contrast with Trump’s later rally in the state, which featured thousands of supporters packed into a hanger.