Kudlow says people ‘probably’ should wear masks to Trump’s Oklahoma rally

Larry Kudlow, the director of the National Economic Council, said Sunday people should “probably” wear masks at President Trump’s upcoming rally in Tulsa, Okla. 

Asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper if people should wear masks at the event, Kudlow said “probably so.” 

“I want to also say, though, that hospitalizations may be going up, but that’s because elective procedures are now permitted,” Kudlow said, though several states are reporting increased coronavirus hospitalizations, specifically. “And maybe, most importantly, Jake, although the case rate has increased a bit, we’re not talking about a second round here.” 

“We hope not,” Tapper responded. 

Kudlow said that fatality rates “continue to be very low.”

“That’s probably the ultra key metric,” he said. 

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) would not confirm if he would be wearing a mask at the rally, and failed to encourage attendees to do so. 

“Are you going to be wearing a mask? Would you encourage other attendees to wear a mask?” Tapper asked the senator. 

“I haven’t decided on that,” Lankford responded, adding that the state is “way ahead of the rest of the nation in many ways.” 

Tapper pressed the senator, adding that he has a mask “just for walking the halls here at CNN.” 

“I mean, don’t you think it’s just common sense? You don’t want to spread it. You don’t want to contract it,” Tapper added, noting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines that say “everyone should” wear a mask. 

Lankford said he wears a mask everywhere that he goes. 

“I assume I’m going to have it. I’m trying to figure out the best way to be able to do this,” Lankford responded about the rally. 

“You see actually very few masks in Oklahoma now, because our numbers have declined so much and because we have been through all three phases. There are still some that use masks. But we encourage people strongly, if they’re high-risk individuals, if they’re older individuals, if they have other health issues, not to get out even with a mask, not to get out. And we will continue to do that,” he added.  

Trump said Wednesday he plans to hold his first campaign rally in more than three months in Tulsa. 

Tulsa’s health director voiced concerns Saturday about the upcoming rally, and said they wish it could be postponed. 

“COVID is here in Tulsa, it is transmitting very efficiently,” Tulsa City-County Health Department’s director Bruce Dart told The Tulsa World. “I wish we could postpone this to a time when the virus isn’t as large a concern as it is today.”