Jun 13, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Trump pushes rally date originally set for Juneteenth amid pressure

Rashaan Ayesh

President Trump speaking at a table — President Trump. Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

President Trump announced via tweet that he's rescheduling his first rally since the coronavirus lockdown from June 19 to June 20, following criticism that it was set for Juneteenth, a holiday in some states marking the end of slavery in the U.S.

Why it matters: Trump told Fox News earlier this week: “The fact that I’m having a rally on that day, you can really think about that very positively as a celebration.” But Democrats used the rally's originally assigned timing to call out the president amid nationwide protests over the police killing of George Floyd.

Trump has also been chastised for choosing to host the first "Make America Great Again" rally since March in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which saw a white mob attack black residents and their businesses in 1921— leaving roughly 300 black Americans dead in one of the most violent outbreaks of racism in U.S. history.

What he's saying: "We had previously scheduled our #MAGA Rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for June 19th – a big deal. Unfortunately, however, this would fall on the Juneteenth Holiday. Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday..."

"and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents. I have therefore decided to move our rally to Saturday, June 20th, in order to honor their requests."

Add Axios on Google

Trump pushes rally date originally set for Juneteenth amid pressure

What to read next