Why was Trump’s Alabama rally cancelled? July 3 event dubbed 'too partisan'
Following up on his Ohio rally, former President Donald Trump was scheduled to speak at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile Bay on July 3. That will no longer be the case though, after the park commissioners decided to scrap the event, on the eve of Independence Day.
In a bid to make a return to the national spotlight, Trump has returned to his usual loud and bombastic rallies. On June 26, he was in Wellington, addressing crowds with all the regular gripes of the election being stolen. Since he was booted off social media, Trump broadcast the rally on the Canadian video platform Rumble, which as we reported has become a new favourite home for conservatives.
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The rallies come amidst trying times from Trump. He is reportedly being distanced by Ivanka and Jared Kushner, as they attempt to re-enter society. The Trump Organization is also in the midst of a tax fraud investigation, with longtime ally Allen Weisselberg expected to be charged soon. The latest setback will see him isolated from fans in Alabama after commissioners feared the rally would be "too partisan".
Why was the rally cancelled?
The former President was expected to be the keynote speaker at the event on July 3. However, it was nixed after the Republican Party contacted the commissioners of the memorial park and confirmed that the speech would indeed be one of Trump's usual events. "After the request was made, then there was contact with the Republican Party, they contacted us and then it became apparent that it was going to be a partisan political event, rather than just a patriotic event planned for that evening," chairman Bill Tunnell told NBC15.
Tunnell then reached out to the Attorney General's office to confirm if the event was legal. It's unclear when exactly the GOP requested the commissioner for the event, but it would have been some time in May. In late May, Tunnell reached out to the AG. In response, the AG Steve Marshall said the park "is available for all political parties and candidates on an equal basis."
With Republicans controlling the state legislature, the event was almost certain to go ahead, but as NBC15 found out, the reality on the ground was different. "I'll be honest, I feel some people just didn't want it, not just it but President Trump," local Tea Party activist Pete Riehm told them. Trump's rally would not have been the first political event at the park. In 2012, presidential hopeful Rick Santorum held a rally at the venue.
The rally was one of the several Trump has planned in the coming days and months, in his return to national politics. The Ohio rally was his first since he left the White House. On June 30, Trump will visit the Southern border, along with Texas Governor Greg Abbott. On his website, Trump is selling tickets for a rally at Sarasota, Florida on July 3. That event will take place at the Sarasota Fairgrounds, and was announced a week ago. It is unclear at this time if the Sarasota rally was a replacement for the Mobile Bay rally.
Responding to the news of the cancellation, the Alabama Republican Party chair said Trump was "excited" to speak at the event. He added that Trump was "disappointed the event is not moving forward." Trump is yet to directly address the cancellation. He did not provide a statement when asked by multiple agencies.