Trump reelection campaign says 800,000 have registered for Tulsa rally, first since coronavirus

The Trump campaign over the weekend reported a surge in ticket requests reaching 800,000 for the president’s first re-election rally since the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S.

The event is scheduled for Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in a 19,200-seat venue.

The 2020 Trump reelection campaign manager, Brad Parscale, reported the 800,000 number Sunday, as part of a running tally on Twitter that started Friday with him saying 200,000-plus, then 300,000 supporters had registered for tickets.

Trump on Monday morning tweeted that the number was now close to 1 million.

Also on Monday, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel told Fox News that the reelection campaign continues to accept registration online because the rally will be larger than the indoor event, to perhaps include large screen TVs outside of the arena. 

"The enthusiasm is through the roof," she said, also announcing the Trump reelection effort Sunday, the president's birthday, raised $14 million. 

Parscale also suggested over the weekend that the campaign is considering a second venue to accommodate the high number of requests. 

The projected size of the rally has raised concerns about coronavirus social-distancing rules on large gatherings that have helped reduce the spread of the virus. 

President Trump on Friday pushed back the rally one day because June 19, or Juneteenth, is considered the end of slavery in the U.S. On June 19, 1865, enslave African-Americans in Galveston, Texas, were released, and the date is marked across the country with commemorative events.