Sep 13, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Trump to host indoor rally in Nevada, likely violating mass gathering rules

President Trump speaking at a campaign event`

Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

President Trump plans to hold a fully indoor rally, where thousands are expected, for the first time in three months on Sunday in Henderson, Nevada, CNN reports.

Why it matters: The rally, which will be held at an Xtreme Manufacturing facility, is expected to violate Nevada's restrictions on gatherings of 50 or more people.

  • "The City of Henderson has issued a compliance letter and verbal warning to the event organizer that the event as planned would be in direct violation of the governor's COVID-19 emergency directives. Specifically, gatherings of more than 50 people in a private or public setting is prohibited," City of Henderson spokesperson Kathleen Richards told CNN in a statement.
  • The venue isn't expected to enforce social distancing, but a campaign official said every attendee will get a temperature check and be provided with masks.

Flashback: The last time the Trump campaign organized an indoor rally was in June in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where attendance was lackluster.

  • Trump's Tulsa rally brought major criticisms against the president for organizing a potential superspreader event during the coronavirus pandemic.
  • A Tulsa health official later said that the rally, where masks were optional, likely contributed to a surge in coronavirus cases.

What they're saying: "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," a Trump campaign official told NBC.

Go deeper