Trump Holds Mt. Rushmore Rally with 7,500 Packed, Maskless Attendees During Pandemic Surge

President Trump held a campaign-style rally at Mount Rushmore on July 3-4, 2020, with approximately 7,500 ticketed attendees packed close together and mostly maskless, despite the United States setting a pandemic record on that same day with 57,497 confirmed COVID-19 cases. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem had announced in advance that masks would be available but not required and that social distancing would not be enforced, declaring that those with concerns could simply stay home. The massive gathering defied public health guidance during a period of surging infections and exemplified Trump’s pattern of prioritizing political rallies and personal ego over pandemic safety—with the dangerous nature of the event underscored when Kimberly Guilfoyle, a Trump campaign fundraiser and Donald Trump Jr.’s girlfriend, tested positive for COVID-19 on the evening of the event.

Deliberate Rejection of Public Health Measures

Governor Kristi Noem made clear in advance that the Mount Rushmore event would not follow basic pandemic safety protocols, telling Fox News that while free masks would be provided, attendees would not be required to wear them or practice social distancing. “We will have a large event on July 3rd,” Noem declared, adding that “we told those folks that have concerns that they can stay home.” This deliberate rejection of public health guidance came during a period when COVID-19 cases were surging nationally and public health experts were warning about the dangers of large gatherings. The 7,500 attendees—selected through an online lottery sponsored by South Dakota’s tourism department—gathered in close proximity without masks, creating conditions that public health experts warned could lead to a superspreader event.

Timing During Pandemic Surge

The Mount Rushmore celebration occurred on the same day the United States set a new pandemic record with over 57,000 confirmed cases, with the country experiencing a major surge in infections following premature reopenings in many states. The previous Wednesday had seen 50,000 new cases reported—the highest single-day total to that point—yet Trump proceeded with the massive rally as if the pandemic no longer posed a threat. The event’s timing during a pandemic surge demonstrated Trump’s determination to project normalcy and strength regardless of public health consequences, prioritizing the political optics of a triumphant rally over the safety of attendees, event staff, Secret Service personnel, and the communities to which infected attendees would return.

Immediate COVID Case and Native American Concerns

The dangers of the event became immediately apparent when Kimberly Guilfoyle tested positive for COVID-19 on the evening of the Mount Rushmore celebration. While she remained asymptomatic and was immediately isolated, her positive test demonstrated that infected individuals were present at the packed, maskless gathering—exactly the conditions that epidemiologists warned would accelerate viral transmission. Native American protesters had specifically expressed concern that the event would “put tribal members at risk of a coronavirus outbreak,” particularly given that Indigenous communities had been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Approximately 15 protesters were arrested during demonstrations blocking the highway to the monument, as they objected not only to pandemic risks but also to the resumption of fireworks at a site sacred to the Lakota people.

Significance

Trump’s Mount Rushmore rally epitomized his reckless disregard for public health and his determination to prioritize political theater over pandemic safety. By holding a massive campaign event with thousands of packed, maskless attendees on the same day the United States set pandemic case records, Trump demonstrated his contempt for the public health guidance his own administration nominally endorsed. The event sent a clear message to Trump supporters that pandemic precautions were optional political statements rather than necessary public health measures—further politicizing mask-wearing and social distancing in ways that would contribute to accelerated viral spread. Governor Noem’s explicit rejection of safety measures, with Trump’s full support and participation, showed how far Republican officials would go to signal their alignment with Trump’s pandemic denialism, even at the cost of endangering their own constituents. The Mount Rushmore rally joined a pattern of Trump campaign events that flouted public health guidance throughout 2020, transforming political gatherings into potential superspreader events that seeded infections throughout communities where attendees lived—all in service of Trump’s ego and re-election ambitions.