Trump holds rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma

President Trump is not wearing a mask at his Tulsa, Oklahoma, rally. He has now entered the stage to deliver remarks.

In an interview with Axios Friday, President Trump said he would not wear a mask at the rally: “Not as a protest but I don't feel that I'm in danger."

Trump also told Axios that he wants rally attendees to “make their own decisions” about wearing a face mask. He didn’t encourage or discourage people to wear them, and called masks "a double-edged sword."

He told Axios, “there was a time when people thought it was worse wearing a mask,” adding, "I let people make up their own decision."

Rally attendees are not required to maintain social distance or wear masks, even as the administration's top public health officials continue to stress the importance of both measures important to prevent the spread of virus.

The Trump Campaign is trying to blame “radical” protesters, even saying some were allegedly blocking metal detectors, for frightening off some of the President’s supporters from attending the campaign events today in Tulsa.

Several CNN teams on the ground said they did not see any of that type of activity near the event site. There were protesters in the downtown area, although there was a large security perimeter preventing them from getting within blocks of the arena where the rally is being held.

CNN teams on the ground – including one that has been at the main entrance nearly all day – said they have seen no evidence of protestors entering the security gates.

Gary Tuchman, who reported from various locations in downtown and spoke with multiple supporters, said nobody mentioned the problems referenced in the statement.

And Abby Phillip reported that when she went through security to the overflow area there were very few people coming in and that it was not possible for protestors to access the metal detectors.

MSNBC had reported earlier that protestors blocked one of the gates.

CNN has reached out to the Secret Service for comment.

Watch:

In the days leading up to President Trump's Saturday rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he and his allies ginned up expectations for a massive crowd with campaign officials telling CNN that more than a million people had registered to attend, and one local official stating they expected 100,000 to show up near the arena.

But those crowds didn't appear as large as expected Saturday afternoon, leading to an abrupt change of plans by the campaign.

A campaign source told CNN that the team was abandoning plans for the President to speak to an "overflow" area outside the arena in Tulsa where only a couple dozen people were standing near the outdoor stage less than two hours before the rally.

Reporting from inside the arena, CNN's Ryan Nobles described the smaller-than-expected crowd:

Ahead of tonight's rally in Tulsa, CNN's Gary Tuchman spoke to Trump supporters about concerns expressed by health experts that today's rally, which will be held indoors, could spark the spread of new coronavirus cases.

Hear what Trump supporters told CNN:

Today's rally comes as Oklahoma is seeing a steady increase in its average of new confirmed cases per day. New cases in Tulsa County have also been climbing, and the county is now seeing its highest seven-day average for new cases at 97.3, according to the latest data from the Tulsa Health Department.

Rally attendees will not be required to maintain social distance or wear masks, even as the administration's top public health officials continue to stress the importance of both measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

The campaign said that hand sanitizer, temperature checks and masks will be provided to rally attendees, though actually wearing a mask won't be required.

Earlier this week, the Trump campaign announced that senior campaign officials would "lead a group of over 50 surrogates to campaign on behalf of President Trump" at the rally.

The group includes:

CNN has learned that the Trump campaign is chartering a jet for the group of Trump surrogates in hopes of having a show of force at the Tulsa rally.

Senior campaign officials, including campaign manager Brad Parscale, are also attending. Parscale was seen inside the rally arena wearing a “Trump Pence” branded mask.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany confirmed Friday that White House officials would be attending the event as well. McEnany said she'd be in attendance, but that she didn't plan to wear a mask.

The rally was initially scheduled to be on Juneteenth, the oldest regular celebration of the end of slavery in the United States, but the timing and location drew heavy criticism from African American leaders and Democrats.

President Trump is set to deliver remarks at a campaign rally in the Bank of Oklahoma Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma a 8:00 p.m. ET.

Though many medical experts, including top health officials within his administration, have warned against large gatherings at a time when coronavirus cases are rising in Oklahoma, Trump is holding this evening's event at the indoor Bank of Oklahoma Center arena, an indoor venue, that holds nearly 20,000 people.

Few rallygoers were wearing masks as they entered the venue to take seats that were right next to one another. The crowd standing near the stage was already tightly packed as people without face coverings stood face-to-face talking to one another as loud music played in the background.

The Trump campaign said that it takes "safety seriously," and noted hand sanitizer, temperature checks and masks will be provided to rally attendees, though actually wearing a mask won't be required.

A day before his rally in Tulsa, President Trump suggested protesters planning to demonstrate at his event would be treated roughly.

Despite previously describing himself as "an ally of all peaceful protesters," Trump used his platform on Friday to warn those who oppose him to stay away from the campaign event.

“Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis. It will be a much different scene!" he tweeted. 

But later Friday afternoon, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany attempted to clarify that when the President tweeted that it would be a “much different scene,” he was not trying to threaten anyone's right to peaceably assemble. She said Trump was only referring to any "violent" demonstrators.

Trump's tweet came as the nation marked Juneteenth — the day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

Tulsa's Mayor G.T. Bynum had issued an executive order Thursday establishing a curfew in parts of Tulsa's downtown area, saying more than 100,000 people were expected in the vicinity of the event.

Trump said on Twitter Friday that he spoke with Tulsa's mayor about the curfew and that "there will be no curfew tonight or tomorrow for our many supporters attending the #MAGA Rally."

At the request of the Secret Service, the mayor of Tulsa announced he was rescinding the curfew he put in place on Thursday near the BOK Center.

President Trump has landed at Tulsa International Airport, according to the press pool traveling with the President.

Air Force One was wheels down at 6:51 p.m. ET, 5:51 p.m. local time. 

The President did not come back to speak to the press during the flight, nor did any other White House officials, according to the pool. 

Trump is set to deliver remarks at 8 p.m. ET.

As the coronavirus plows through the United States, health experts worry President Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, will become a new hotspot for coronavirus infections.

Leaders and public health experts have expressed concern, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, as well as Bruce Dart, the director of Tulsa's health department, who told the Tulsa World he wishes "we could postpone this to a time when the virus isn't as large a concern as it is today."

Tulsa's Bank of Oklahoma Center arena can hold just under 20,000; attendees will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. People have been lining up for days to secure their spots.

But, at a time when Covid-19 cases are on the rise in Oklahoma — the state has seen new confirmed cases more than double from the previous week, according to analysis of Johns Hopkins University data — and in neighboring Texas, the rally could be a recipe for a super-spreader event.

Attendees will not be required to maintain social distance or wear masks at tonight's rally, despite the Trump administration's top public health officials stressing the importance of both measures in preventing the spread of coronavirus.

The rally violates virtually every one of the guiding principles for gatherings issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, putting it in the "highest risk" category:

"There are going to be tens of thousands of people in attendance. So, it is a great place to spread virus. And from what I understand, these are not just people who live in Tulsa. There are people coming in from far away to go to the rally, so they'll be returning to their home cities, and so that we may see spread outside of the Tulsa area," she continued.

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