Supporters of President Donald Trump amassed outside the arena in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Thursday, two days before he is scheduled to hold a campaign rally expected to draw at least 100,000 people.
Despite an uptick of coronavirus cases in the area and fears the event could be a COVID-19 "super-spreader," many attendees chose to forgo masks and social distancing while in line, where people waited on lawn chairs and with tents, NBC News reported. One group even entertained their fellow Trump supporters with an upbeat song about his re-election, singing: "Vote Trump! 2020!"
A suit brought by Tulsa businesses and residents aimed at mandating coronavirus precautions at the rally was denied by an Oklahoma judge on Wednesday. Lawyers for the plaintiffs turned to the Oklahoma Supreme Court for help on Thursday, arguing during a phone conference that, "It's madness to let this event go forward."
Lawyers for the company that owns the BOK Center countered that while there's no dispute that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would consider the event ill-advised, the CDC also says event planners can adjust safety requirements for events.
Get the full story at NBCNews.com.
