Trump rally: President and Pence drop plans to address outdoor Tulsa crowds amid reports of low attendance

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Donald Trump and Mike Pence have scrapped plans to address an outdoor rally at the president's campaign event in Tulsa, Oklahoma, following reports of low attendance and a thinner-than-expected crowd inside the arena.

The campaign was set to address an "overflow" crowd that has since dwindled. On Friday, campaign director Brad Parscale touted an outdoor stage that was being built for the president.

"This will be the 1st time that POTUS speaks to BOTH crowds in person - inside & outside," he said on Twitter. "If you come to the rally and don't get into the BOK Center before it's full, you can still see the President in person!"

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In a campaign statement, however, spokesperson Tim Murtaugh said "protesters interfered with supporters, even blocking access to metal detectors, which prevented people from entering the rally."

"Radical protesters, coupled with a relentless onslaught from the media, attempted to frighten off the president's supporters," he claimed.

One woman who was peacefully protesting while sitting on the ground outside the arena was arrested, after the campaign asked the Tulsa Police Department to remove her from the area.

Tulsa officials had anticipated 100,000 people in its downtown for the rally. The BOK Centre has a capacity of roughly 19,000 people. Roughly 400,000 people live in Tulsa, and the state's population is around 4 million people.

On 15 June, the president claimed that nearly 1 million had requested tickets to the rally.

Reports from outside and inside the rally in the hours before the president was set to appear, typically carnival-like events with crowds lined up for hours waiting to enter, show the area had yet to reach capacity.

Shape Created with Sketch. Donald Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma Show all 16 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Donald Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma 1/16 A Trump supporter sits in the upper rows of the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally. There were reports of far lower numbers attending than the president's team had predicted Getty Images 2/16 Donald Trump points to his shoe at a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma during a lengthy explanation of why he walked so carefully on a ramp at West Point military academy a week earlier Getty Images 3/16 A police officer gestures during a Black Lives Matter event near the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally by Donald Trump AP 4/16 Trump supporters take their seats in the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally by the president. Many people in the crowd were choosing not to wear face masks despite medical recommendations during the coronavirus pandemic AP 5/16 Merchandise vendors wearing face masks at the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a Donald Trump rally Getty Images 6/16 Trump supporter Scott Hilliard, left, argues with Black Lives Matter protester Eugene Smith near the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally by the president AP 7/16 A Trump supporter and a Black Lives Matter protester face off in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally by Donald Trump AFP via Getty Images 8/16 A protester shouts at Donald Trump supporters outside a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma REUTERS 9/16 Eric Trump, Donald Trump's second son, in the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally AP 10/16 A woman wearing a T-shirt with the message 'I Can't Breathe' is arrested after refusing to leave the area outside the rally, which she said she had a ticket for AFP via Getty Images 11/16 A woman speaks to police officers during a protest against racial injustice outside a Donald Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma REUTERS 12/16 Brad Parscale, Donald Trump's campaign manager, in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of the president's first rally in three months Getty Images 13/16 A protester against racial injustice is arrested outside a Donald Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma REUTERS 14/16 A Trump supporter wearing a Make America Great Again cap speaking outside a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma REUTERS 15/16 Trump supporters wait to enter a rally at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma AFP via Getty Images 16/16 Donald Trump supporters and opponents clash outside the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of an election rally by the president AP 1/16 A Trump supporter sits in the upper rows of the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally. There were reports of far lower numbers attending than the president's team had predicted Getty Images 2/16 Donald Trump points to his shoe at a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma during a lengthy explanation of why he walked so carefully on a ramp at West Point military academy a week earlier Getty Images 3/16 A police officer gestures during a Black Lives Matter event near the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally by Donald Trump AP 4/16 Trump supporters take their seats in the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally by the president. Many people in the crowd were choosing not to wear face masks despite medical recommendations during the coronavirus pandemic AP 5/16 Merchandise vendors wearing face masks at the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a Donald Trump rally Getty Images 6/16 Trump supporter Scott Hilliard, left, argues with Black Lives Matter protester Eugene Smith near the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally by the president AP 7/16 A Trump supporter and a Black Lives Matter protester face off in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally by Donald Trump AFP via Getty Images 8/16 A protester shouts at Donald Trump supporters outside a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma REUTERS 9/16 Eric Trump, Donald Trump's second son, in the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally AP 10/16 A woman wearing a T-shirt with the message 'I Can't Breathe' is arrested after refusing to leave the area outside the rally, which she said she had a ticket for AFP via Getty Images 11/16 A woman speaks to police officers during a protest against racial injustice outside a Donald Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma REUTERS 12/16 Brad Parscale, Donald Trump's campaign manager, in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of the president's first rally in three months Getty Images 13/16 A protester against racial injustice is arrested outside a Donald Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma REUTERS 14/16 A Trump supporter wearing a Make America Great Again cap speaking outside a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma REUTERS 15/16 Trump supporters wait to enter a rally at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma AFP via Getty Images 16/16 Donald Trump supporters and opponents clash outside the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of an election rally by the president AP

The campaign had initially planned to hold the rally — his first since 2 March and his first during the coronavirus pandemic — on 19 June, or Juneteenth, but moved the date to the following day after waves of backlash for using a day recognising African American emancipation from slavery as a backdrop for his return to rallies that have provoked white nationalism.

Tulsa also recently recognised the 99th anniversary of the nation's largest racist massacre, in which white mobs killed dozens of African American residents.

Masks were handed out to attendees, though wearing them was not enforced and most attendees ignored guidelines to do so.