Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) took aim at President Trump’s decision to hold an indoor rally in his state Sunday evening, accusing the president of taking “reckless and selfish actions” that he said put lives in danger.
Sisolak wrote on Twitter as Trump took the stage in Henderson, Nev., for a rally at which many attendees appeared to be maskless and violating both local social distancing orders and White House recommendations that the president “appears to have forgotten that this country is still in the middle of a global pandemic.”
“This is an insult to every Nevadan who has followed the directives, made sacrifices, and put their neighbors before themselves. It’s also a direct threat to all of the recent progress we’ve made, and could potentially set us back,” Sisolak continued in the lengthy thread.
Trump during the rally went after Sisolak, saying to the Nevada crowd, “Tell your governor: Open up your state!”
The crowd roared with applause in response.
The city of Henderson earlier warned event organizers that the event would likely violate the city’s rules against indoor gatherings of more than 50 people and could result in a fine of $500 or a suspension of the business license.
“The City of Henderson has issued a compliance letter and verbal warning to the event organizer that the event as planned would be in direct violation of the governor’s COVID-19 emergency directives. Specifically, gatherings of more than 50 people in a private or public setting is prohibited,” a city official told CNN.
The Trump campaign also addressed criticism of plans to hold the rally earlier in the day, with spokesman Tim Murtaugh telling reporters that “if you can join tens of thousands of people protesting in the streets, gamble in a casino, or burn down small businesses in riots, you can gather peacefully under the First Amendment to hear from the president of the United States.”
Campaign officials added that attendees would be “encouraged” to wear masks that would be provided on-site, and have their temperatures checked before entering the venue.