President Trump is set to host a campaign rally Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, amid a growing wave of controversy. The event had originally been scheduled to take place on Friday, June 19, the same day as “Juneteenth,” a day commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S.

The questionable timing was exacerbated by the fact the Tulsa was the sight of the Black Wall Street Massacre of 1921. With Trump's adversarial reactions to the George Floyd protests, many have read the timing and setting of the event as an intentional provocation.

Trump further provoked racial tensions with a tweet Friday threatening “protestors, anarchists, agitators, looters, and lowlifes” with a “much different scene” should they appear to protest the rally.

The event will begin at 7 p.m. ET at the Bank of Oklahoma Center, a venue that holds 19,000. It will be live-streamed on the websites of major news outlets. Cable subscribers will also be able to view the rally on Fox News, as other networks have not confirmed they will show the rally live.

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Worries about the spread of COVID-19 also surround the rally. Experts have criticized the campaign for planning such a mass gathering while the virus remains a threat to public health.

NBC News reported that six members of the Trump campaign’s advance team in Tulsa tested positive for the coronavirus.

“By attending the Rally, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.; BOK Center; ASM Global; or any of their affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, contractors or volunteers liable for any illness or injury,” a disclaimer from the venue stated.

The Bank of Oklahoma Center has also requested a written explanation from the Trump campaign about what steps it will be taking to enforce social distancing and ensure public health at the event.

US President Donald Trump's most loyal supporters see the rally as a show of his strength, amid multiple crises
US President Donald Trump's most loyal supporters see the rally as a show of his strength, amid multiple crises AFP / SETH HERALD