President Donald Trump's 2020 campaign has been receiving harsh criticism for holding a 2020 re-election campaign rally in Tulsa on Juneteenth.
"Black community and political leaders called on President Donald Trump to at least change the Juneteenth date for a rally kicking off his return to public campaigning, saying Thursday that plans for a rally on the day that marks the end of slavery in America come as a “slap in the face," the AP reported Thursday. "Trump campaign officials discussed in advance the possible reaction to the Juneteenth date, but despite fierce blowback there are no plans to change it."
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) has been a leading critic.
Sherry Gamble Smith, president of Tulsa’s Black Wall Street Chamber of Commerce, also blasted the campaign's decision.
“To choose the date, to come to Tulsa, is totally disrespectful and a slap in the face to even happen,” she argued.
The AP reported the campaign was surprised by the blowback.
"The Trump campaign was aware in advance that the date for the president’s return to rallies was Juneteenth, according to two campaign officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly about internal discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity," the AP reported. "Though choosing June 19 was not meant to be incendiary, some blowback was expected, the officials said. But the campaign was caught off guard by the intensity, particularly when some linked the selection to the 1921 massacre."