DNC Statement on Trump’s Oklahoma Rally

In response to Donald Trump’s plan to hold a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma next week, Democratic National Committee spokesperson John Weber released the following statement:

“Donald Trump can’t spin this economic meltdown. Instead of doing his job and containing the virus, he wasted time, shifted blame, and led the economy into recession. Now, Oklahomans are facing double-digit unemployment. Three months into this crisis, Trump would rather throw a party for himself than help working families. Oklahomans deserve better.”

BACKGROUND ON TRUMP’S FAILING ECONOMY

The Oklahoman: Unemployment in most metro areas tops 15%, data shows.

  • “The Oklahoma City metropolitan statistical area (MSA) had an estimated April unemployment rate of about 14.8%, with more than 97,000 unemployed.”

  • “In the Tulsa metro area, the unemployment rate was 15% with more than 69,000 unemployed.”

The Oklahoman: Oklahoma farmers seeing lower prices for crops amid economic upheaval.

  • “Zack Harris looked across his wheat fields earlier this year. He liked what he saw. His wheat crop was lush and green. He expected to have a strong yield. And wheat prices, he said, weren’t bad. In mid-March, that all changed. Businesses shuttered and stocks tumbled as fears of the coronavirus spread across the nation.”

  • “‘My small profit of $20, $30, $40 or $50 per acre becomes a $50 loss per acre,’ Harris said. ‘Times that by, like I said, 4,000-plus acres.’”

KOTV: Pandemic Continues To Strike Oklahoma’s Economy, Businesses Struggle.

  • “The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to take a financial toll on Oklahoma’s economy. The state’s latest report stated gross tax collections were down 14 percent last month compared to May of 2019. The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission also reported it processed an unprecedented 180,000 claim weeks just this past weekend.”