Reports: Tulsa Rally Turnout Lower than Expected

The turnout for President Trump’s “Great American Comeback” rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, appears to be lower than the campaign’s initial expectations, according to several reports and photos from those on the scene of the event.

The Trump campaign is attributing the lower turnout to “protestors, coupled with a relentless onslaught from the media” — both of which, communications director Tim Murtaugh said, “attempted to frighten off the President’s supporters.”

Saturday’s highly anticipated rally is being held at the BOK center, which holds 19,000. Several reports indicate that the turnout is well below the campaign’s expectations, which were high given the nearly one million registrations for the event.

President Trump was also originally expected to address an overflow crowd at a separate stage near the main venue, but there are reports indicating that his appearance has been cancelled:

The Trump campaign has acknowledged the lower than expected turnout, claiming that “protestors interfered with supporters, even blocking access to the metal detectors, which prevented people from entering the rally.”

The campaign’s statement read:

President Trump is rallying in Tulsa with thousands of energetic supporters, a stark contrast to the sleepy campaign being run by Joe Biden from his basement in Delaware. Sadly, protestors interfered with supporters, even blocking access to the metal detectors, which prevented people from entering the rally. Radical protestors, coupled with a relentless onslaught from the media, attempted to frighten off the President’s supporters. We are proud of the thousands who stuck it out.

The development follows a night of confusion leading up to the rally. Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum originally issued a curfew for the days leading up to the event after receiving information from the Tulsa Police Department and other law enforcement agencies indicating that “individuals from organized groups who have been involved in destructive or violent behavior in other states are planning to travel to the City of Tulsa for purposes of causing unrest in and around the rally.”

However, Bynum eventually agreed to end the curfew.

The rally is slated to begin at 8:00 p.m. EST.