Atlanta mayor calls Trump rally an ’embarrassment’: ‘Absolutely what the nation does not need right now’

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) said Sunday that President Trump’s rally in Tulsa, Okla., late Saturday was an “embarrassment” and yet another example of how the president is seeking to divide Americans. 

“Like so many people across this country, my first response was that I hope this is a preview for November,” Bottoms said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” seemingly referencing the smaller than anticipated crowd size at Trump’s rally. 

“That finally people are recognizing that this man is a danger to our country, a danger to our democracy and he should not be the president of the United States of America,” she added. “That rally was an embarrassment.”

Atlanta Mayor @KeishaBottoms on President Trump’s Tulsa rally: “That rally was an embarrassment… He did not recognize any of the racial tensions that are happening across our country… He continues to try and divide us and really inflames the worst in people” #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/4c2mkmNbAj

— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) June 21, 2020

Bottoms said Trump’s comments at the rally were not the healing words the nation needs amid the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide protests over police brutality and racial inequality. 

“It was absolutely what the nation does not need right now. He did not speak about healing. He did not recognize any of the racial tensions that are happening across our country. Instead, he does what he always does. He continues to try and divide us and really inflames the worst in people,” Bottoms said. “I just hope that this is a good sign that the country is moving on from him.” 

The mayor also criticized Trump’s claim during the rally that he encouraged administration officials to “slow the testing down.” 

“Over 120,000 people have lost their lives to COVID, and you dare speak that you have said slow down the testing? It’s insane to me,” Bottoms said. 

Host Jake Tapper noted that the White House trade adviser earlier in the show called Trump’s comments about testing “tongue in cheek.” 

“This is no time to joke. Even if it were a joke, which it was not, it was an inappropriate joke,” Bottoms said. “Do you think the 120,000 families out there who are missing loved ones thought it was funny?”