New Video Shows Trump Campaign Removing Social-Distancing Stickers Before Tulsa Rally

Video has emerged of Trump campaign volunteers apparently removing social distancing stickers from seats in the arena hours before President Trump held a campaign rally that many public health experts had warned against because of the still-surging coronavirus pandemic.

The Washington Post published the video, which it says shows Trump campaign workers methodically removing the stickers from seats at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The labels read “Do Not Sit Here, Please!” and had been placed there by the venue in order to minimize the risk of Covid-19 infection.

Washington Post: The Trump campaign removed thousands of “Do Not Sit Here, Please!” social distancing stickers before his poorly attended Tulsa rally.

The removal violated specific instructions from the BOK Center.

🎥@StevenReyCristo pic.twitter.com/KjgKh6KVtK

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) June 27, 2020

The Post reports that the Trump campaign directed the removal of the stickers, against the wishes of the management of the 19,000-seat arena where the 20 June rally was held as part of Trump’s re-election campaign.

Billboard magazine has originally reported that thousands of the stickers had been removed.

Billboard quoted Doug Thornton – a senior executive at the firm that owns the BOK Center – as saying: “They also told us that they didn’t want any signs posted saying we should social distance in the venue.”

Trump’s Tulsa rally was held as coronavirus cases were rising in Oklahoma and sparked widespread condemnation from local health officials, as well as the president’s critics.

Since the rally, which was held as coronavirus cases were rising in Oklahoma and sparked widespread condemnation from local health officials, eight Trump staffers have tested positive for the virus and many more have been directed to self-quarantine.

On Friday night, according to ABC News, campaign staff who were in Tulsa were emailed and told they “are required to obtain a negative Covid-19 test this weekend”.