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President Donald Trump's first campaign rally since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March was held at the BOK Center in Tulsa last Saturday, and Bartlesville Senator Julie Daniels said it was festive, happy, enthusiastic and patriotic.

Sen. Daniels attended the Trump Rally by herself on Saturday and saw it for what it really was with her own eyes. She didn't need to rely on the media's perceptions of who President Trump was or what he said, rather, she based her own opinions out of respect for a man that is running a nation that has a lot of its shoulders.

"The media portrays the President exactly as they intend to portray the President," Sen. Daniels said. "That won't change. [The media] is always going to be negative.

There is much more to take away from those who watched and listened to President Trump speak in the BOK than what is portrayed in the news. While sitting next to the Federal delegation that was in attendance, and Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, Sen. Daniels heard President Trump speak on a wide range of issues.

"I enjoyed listening to him speak and predicting what the media would focus on and how they would spin it," Sen. Daniels said. "I was so good at figuring it out I could have reported for them."

Two topics that are familiar to everyone in the news these days include the novel coronavirus pandemic, and the unrest and protests that have risen since the tragic death of an African American man named George Floyd who was killed by police in Minneapolis in late-May. The pandemic has been with the nation and the world since mid-March. Senator Daniels said President Trump has been decisive and effective during the pandemic. She said his most important action was growing jobs for three years.

"This put us in a position to limit the economic destruction of the pandemic," Sen. Daniels said. "[Trump] stopped travel from China, put together an expert task force, put Vice President Pence in charge, marshalled industry to manufacture needed equipment, fixed supply chain issues, and expanded hospital capacity. As a result, as soon as the began to flatten, he could start putting Americans back to work."

Having the rally in Tulsa came as no surprise to Sen. Daniels. She said President Trump and Gov. Stitt are job creators, government reformers, and optimistic 'can do' leaders.

"The President started getting us back to work as soon as possible and Governor Stitt was right there with him,' Sen. Daniels said. "I appreciated the [Trump] acknowledged we must learn to live with the virus in our midst but not let it bring our lives and livelihoods to a standstill."

Many protests have taken place across the nation as well in recently weeks. Sen. Daniels said President Trump clearly distinguished the difference between protestors and rioters, between those with legitimate grievances we must address and those bent on destruction and violence.

"I heard urgency in [Trump's] voice in multiple references to those who want to break down law and order, sew civil strife and destroy the nation," Sen. Daniels said. "He has held a number of discussions with Black Americans of different backgrounds and experiences from which has come his executive order on police reform, training and accountability. He had already taken some action on criminal justice reform."

President Trump once again declared at the rally that education is the civil rights issue of our time. Sen. Daniels said President Trump is absolutely committed to improving education opportunities and outcomes for black students. Most importantly, Sen. Daniels said the president has succeeded in growing black employment.

"Trump is a builder, not a destroyer," the Senator said. "This is why he is devastated by the destruction of black-owned businesses in predominantly black neighborhoods."

Looking at both the pandemic and the the protests on a local level, Sen. Daniels said she commends city government and healthcare providers for their actions during the pandemic. She said she also commends protestors and police for working cooperatively so everyone could exercise their free speech rights safely.

"We have a great deal of social capital in Bartlesville built up by successive generations," the Senator said. "Each generation of citizens adds to that while addressing the particular issues or problems of their time. Our goal is to make life better for everyone. We are doing well but always working to improve."

And looking ahead at the future of our nation, Sen. Daniels said we need President Trump now more than we needed him in 2016. She said we need the president to get our jobs back, encourage entrepreneurs and business owner increase investment, and cut more regulations.

"[Trump] can lead us to economic independence like we have achieved energy independence," Sen. Daniels said. "He can play a major role in healing civil strife because he loves his fellow Americans and wants everyone to do well in life. He's a practical man and problem solver."

Aside from all these things, Sen. Daniels said Elveta King (the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) delivered a beautiful prayer to open the rally. She said former Oklahoma Speaker of the House T.W. Shannon, gave a great speech, and Diamond and Silk had everyone in the BOK Center laughing and cheering.