Top members of White House coronavirus task force strongly advised President Trump against holding his rally in Tulsa – despite his insistence that attendees are there at their own risk.
Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx both reportedly shared concerns internally last week about the public health risks involved in holding the Make America Great Again rally in Tusla, Oklahoma, on Saturday.
The massive indoor campaign rally is expected to see around 19,000 of Trump’s most ardent supporters inside the BOK Center, where social distancing and face masks will not be required.
NBC News reports the coronavirus task force, led by Vice President Mike Pence, still meets weekly behind closed doors but Trump hasn’t spoken to Fauci in several weeks.
Another meeting was reportedly slated to happen ahead of the rally on Friday.
President Trump (pictured) is set to host a Make America Great Again rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday with around 19,000 attendees
Dr, Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx (left to right) reportedly warned the President against holding the rally over health concerns related to the corornavirus pandemic
While the details of Friday’s meeting are unclear, nonetheless the Trump administration has eagerly pushed forward with the event.
They said people who plan to attend the rally ‘assume a personal risk’ and ‘that is part of life.’
This is on par with the administration’s public response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Officials have repeatedly flouted their own administrations health guidance, with Trump repeatedly pushing for lockdown restrictions to end early and several officials, including Pence, opting out of wearing face masks.
It also comes at odds with the Trump administration’s own CDC guidelines which categorize massive crowd settings as the ‘highest risk.’
Meanwhile, the United States still lead the world in coronavirus-related cases and deaths. The most recent count reports 2,220,961 confirmed infections and a national death toll of 119,112.
Campaign officials revealed that the tens of thousands of Trump supporters attending his rally do not need to wear face coverings or social distance
It has been almost two months since the administration held a coronaivurs task force briefing and four weeks since Dr. Birx responded to questions about the pandemic from the White House briefing room.
While Trump and Pence has tried to push a return to normalcy, some members of the task force are keen on resuming regular appeared from the White House and address the American people directly, according to two sources involved in task force meetings.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters on Friday that, at the moment, the coronavirus press briefings most likely won’t return with Trump.
Instead, she has been tasked with presenting new information after consulting with Dr. Birx.
Pictured: Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump gather to attend a campaign rally at th eBOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma
A trump supporter is seen carrying a flag while riding a Lime Scooter outside of the Bok Center (pictured)
The most recent coronavirus count in the US reports 2,220,961 confirmed infections and a national death toll of 119,112 ahead of the rally
But according to source close to Fauci, there are reportedly no current plans to rehash the once-daily press briefings, so Dr, Fauci has found other outlets to share information and updates about the ongoing pandemic.
Fauci has done a steady stream of media interviews with various outlets, much to the annoyance of the president, one source told NBC News.
The White House’s more optimistic messaging has been repeatedly undercut and dispelled by Fauci. whose reliance on science and data has suggested a second coronavirus wave on the rise.
Trump praised Fauci’s medical expertise in the beginning of the global crisis, but has since deviated and publicly dismissed concerns of Fauci’s.
On Friday, Trump appeared to shrug off Fauci’s concerns over restarting the NFL season.
‘Tony Fauci has nothing to do with NFL Football. They are planning a very safe and controlled opening. However, if they don’t stand for our National Anthem and our Great American Flag, I won’t be watching!’ wrote Trump on Twitter.
When asked if he would be in attendance to the Tulsa rally, Fauci replied ‘of course not’ given his age and encouraged attendees to wear masks.
The BOK Center on Friday requested a more comprehensive from the trump campaign, which they failed to do with less than 24 hours to the start time.
Campaign officials have warned attendees with pre-existing health conditions they would be more at risk of contracting the virus.
Attendees were made to sign a digital waiver clearing the campaign or Trump of any liability should individuals get sick.
‘There have been regular conversations between senior administration officials and the campaign about steps and precautions that can be taken,’ one White House official told NBC News.
‘Nobody’s taking this lightly.’
Oklahoma is one of the several states that has seen a recent and significant spike in coronaivurs cases. In fact, there was a 100 per cent spike in Tulsa County this week.
One of the reasons campaign officials pushed to hold the event in Oklahoma is because the state has entered Phase 3 of its reopening plan.
Oklahoma was one of several states that recently recorded a spike in coronavirus cases ahead of Trump’s rally on Saturday
A White House official said task force members had been consulted and the Tusla rally is following guidelines that group helped write for a Phase 3 reopening.
But among the group, tensions have sparked over the desire to encourage CDC guidelines and Trump’s push to move past the coronavirus pandemic.
Pence wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal this week titled ‘There Isn’t a Coronavirus “Second Wave.”‘
‘We are winning the fight against the invisible enemy,’ he wrote. Pence doubled down on his estimation by mingling with crowds of people outside of Washington D.C. this week.
Pence waltzed through a packed restaurant where people were without masks, including an elderly veteran whom took a photo with Pence. Any inklings of the ongoing pandemic were shrugged away.
Almost no one in the audience wore face masks and while the table Pence at lunch at was socially distanced, he had to pass shoulder-to-shoulder through a crowd of people to get there.
Neither Pence nor his staff wore masks,
‘Every single day, we’re one day closer to putting the coronavirus in the past,’ said Pence.
Officials have argued it’s okay for Pence and Trump to flout face masks because they get tested daily. Aides are also tested regularly and reporters who travel with the vice president undergo tests before each trip.
Trump’s political aides are reportedly concerned about the possible narrative that could surface if a spike in cases follows his rally, according to sources close to the White House.
Next week, Trump will be hosting another massive event with thousands of students at a Phoenix megchurch.
Arizona state health experts have reported gradual increase in cases this week, but two back-to-back records for a single-day increases.