President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up after speaking at a rally at Xtreme Manufacturing in Henderson Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020.
Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020 | 2:28 p.m.
Gov. Steve Sisolak is asking the White House Coronavirus Task Force to reconcile coronavirus safety recommendations from federal health experts with rallies by President Donald Trump in Nevada.
“I am respectfully requesting some clarity and explanation from the task force for myself and the millions of Nevadans I represent,” Sisolak said in a letter today to Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the task force.
Sisolak said he was “beyond frustrated with the lack of clear, concise and consistent messaging from the president.”
Under a state mandate, gatherings are restricted to no more than 50 people. Trump’s weekend rallies in Henderson and Minden drew thousands of people, many not wearing face coverings.
“Nevadans deserve much better from the Trump administration and with the president’s blatant disregard and lack of accountability for his own administration’s professional medical advice, I would ask what additional support Nevada can expect to receive from the federal government to ensure it can effectively combat this deadly virus now that the president has undoubtedly risked an increased spread in two of our communities?,” Sisolak said.
“I urge the administration to consider both the health and economic consequences of this type of unsanctioned mass gatherings and would appreciate better collaboration in the future,” he said.
On a teleconference with reporters, Sisolak said he was expecting to see a spike in virus cases as a result of Trump’s rallies and Labor Day weekend activities.
