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An Oklahoma judge quickly rejected a Tuesday lawsuit that could have forced attendees of President Donald Trump's rally this Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma to wear face masks and adhere to social distancing guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The suit had been filed earlier in the day against the rally venue's management company, ASM Global, by Tulsa attorneys representing local groups The Greenwood Cultural Centre and the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation, along with two immunocompromised individuals.
The complaint sought an injunction forcing the venue to adhere to the public safety measures out of concern that the rally could be a "super spreader event." It was denied by Judge Rebecca Nightingale only hours after it was filed, according to The Washington Post.
The lawsuit stopped short of attempting to block the rally from happening at all, instead citing Oklahoma public nuisance laws while seeking a court order forcing attendees and employees to don mandatory face masks and follow social distancing guidelines "as recommended by state, local, and federal authorities, and by every credible and qualified medical expert who has studied this issue."
"Simply put, this Court should order ASM Global to follow the same rules that any other individual or business desiring to host a mass-gathering indoor event in Tulsa County would be required to follow," the complaint stated.
More than 1 million people requested tickets to attend the rally, according to the Trump campaign. It is set to be the first rally to take place since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The rally's venue, Tulsa's BOK Center, has a capacity of around 19,000, although the president suggested on Monday that a nearby convention could also be booked to allow for a total capacity of 60,000.
The BOK Center said in a statement that "government officials have advised that the campaign rally as planned is consistent with the guidance" of Oklahoma's "Open Up and Recover Safely" plan, but the Trump campaign will be immediately informed if the government imposes new restrictions.
Those who register online for tickets to attend the rally are presented with a waiver absolving the campaign of legal liability due to "an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present."
Modeling from Georgia Tech predicts that dozens of rally attendees could arrive while infected with the virus, with a 99 percent certainly that at least one infected person will be present. Clark Brewster, one of the lawyers who filed the lawsuit, said that rally causing additional cases of the virus was "a certainty."
Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign for comment. This article will be updated with any response.
About the writer
Aila Slisco is a Newsweek night reporter based in New York. Her focus is on reporting national politics, where she ... Read more