Fox News’ John Roberts said he is taking all the “appropriate precautions†to cover President Donald Trump’s Saturday rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The conservative network’s chief White House correspondent ― who has called out Trump on previous occasions ― on Friday used a wartime analogy to explain how he was preparing to report on the indoor event at the 19,000-capacity BOK Center ― which multiple public health experts have warned could supercharge the spread of the virus.
“It’s like digging a slot trench to sleep in every night during the invasion of Iraq,†wrote Roberts, who embedded with U.S. troops to cover the 2003 invasion for CBS News.
“You take all the necessary steps to keep yourself safe,†he added.
The Trump campaign has faced widespread criticism over its decision to press ahead with the rally, for which it added a waiver to its website informing attendees they could not sue if they became infected at the event.
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) has even urged people at high risk from COVID-19 to stay away. The confirmed number of coronavirus cases in Oklahoma is now rising at record levels.
Given Roberts’ combat comparison, many Twitter users questioned why the rally was being held at all.
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