Sen. James Lankford Wednesday encouraged people heading to Tulsa for President Donald Trump's first mass rally in months to wear masks and take safety precautions, but added the president is "always welcome to come to Oklahoma."
"Our restaurants have been open, our retail has been open for seven weeks now," said the Oklahoma Republican on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "We're way ahead of a lot of the other areas of the country. We've seen an increase in numbers over the last five days or so ... it was expected as we reopened retail and restaurants."
However, there has not been an uptick in hospitalizations or deaths. Still, officials are urging people who are vulnerable to stay home and watch the rally on TV, said Lankford.
"They'll pass out masks and hand sanitizer and do temperature checks as folks enter the rally as well," said Lankford. "They're trying to make it as safe as possible."
The MAGA rally, Trump's first since the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns started in March, is planned for the Bank of Oklahoma Center in Tulsa, which has a maximum capacity of just over 19,000, even though there are concerns about the center being an indoor facility. There are a few large outdoor facilities, such as the stadium at the University of Tulsa and another in Stillwater, that may be available for use, but the weather could prove difficult, said Lankford.
"The heat that you deal with this time of year is oppressive at times and very unpredictable," he said.
Meanwhile, Lankford is part of Sen. Tim Scott's team pulling together the Senate's police reform legislation. He said Wednesday the measures aim to provide as much accountability as possible.
"This should be a common-sense issue and cooperation between individuals in the black community, individuals across the country, private citizens, and law enforcement to try to fix the issue," said Lankford. "I don't find law enforcement that wants to have bad apples in the mix. They want accountability and transparency so the great officers, and there are many around the country, can continue to be able to protect."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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