Special Report

Shutdown: The Coronavirus

Politically divided family can agree on one thing, rallies are bad during a pandemic

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

The Tosato family can agree on one thing when it comes to politics,  attending Trump’s indoor rallies during an ongoing pandemic is irresponsible.

But they butt heads on just about everything else. The parents are Republican and the daughter is liberal. The closer the election gets, the more the Tosato family is divided. 

“I wouldn’t go to an indoor rally personally,” Kathleen Tosato, a Republican voter said. “It’s foolish to go to one now, but I think what happened was we watched months of protesters, rioters, many of which didn’t have masks on. Trump supporters saw it as it being their first amendment right to attend his rally.”

Kathleen Tosato watches Fox News when she gets home from work in the evenings, but changes the channel when her daughter gets home to avoid conflict. 

“I don’t know what happened with my daughter, she wasn’t like this,” Tosato said referring to her daughter being liberal. “Social media has gotten to her.”

“It’s gotten to a lot of people,” George Tosato, Kathleen’s husband said.

“But she’s the one I care about though,” Kathleen retorted. 

Kathleen Tosato believes that for the first time in her life there’s a fighter on the Republican side. She said that no one fights harder than Trump does. 

“Trump is in his element at his rallies,” Kathleen Tosato said. “The people go crazy for him, they wait in line 24 or 48 hours to attend his events. In my 61 years I’ve never seen anything like this.”

George Tosato was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey. Growing up, Tosato was a Democrat, but later became a Republican.

“A lot of people say they don’t like his style,” George Tosato said. “According to the media, it’s all about what Trump and his supporters do wrong. I wouldn’t go to an indoor rally, but I’m not going out of my way to talk badly about the people who did either, it’s their right.”

Hailey Tosato, Kathleen and George’s daughter, thinks Trump is playing with fire if he keeps hosting rallies indoors. Hailey and her parents don’t have open conversations about politics in the house because it usually results in arguments.

“We’re in a pandemic and it just isn’t right to be inside somewhere with so many people,” Hailey Tosato said. “Doesn’t matter what you’re doing, whether it’s election based or not.”

In June, Hailey Tosato  participated in a George Floyd protest in Newark, New Jersey. She said that almost every single person was wearing a mask and keeping as much distance as possible. She attended the protest despite her parents thoughts on it. 

“What’s interesting about the indoor Trump rallies was that people chose to go,” Kathleen Tosato said. “We live in a free country and you can do whatever you want.”

Trump’s first indoor rally in Tulsa was held three months after the coronavirus reached America and it completely backfired. It was poorly attended and there was a spike in coronavirus cases in those who went.

“Trump isn’t doing this for anything other than his personal publicity,” Hailey Tosato said. “As the leader of the free world he’s supposed to be looking out for people, but yet he’s endangering how many lives by hosting indoor rallies.”

 

Author


Other Stories in Special Report: Shutdown: The Coronavirus

Life returns to the East Village

Quincy Walter May 5, 2021

Reopening for Ramadan

Hassan Abbas May 4, 2021

And the band played on

Xavier Bartaburu May 2, 2021

Queens residents mourn at Covid vigil

Annie Burky May 2, 2021

Floating for Free: COVID and the Staten Island Ferry

Trish Rooney May 2, 2021

COVID-19 has left many Black and Hispanic landlords in serious debt

Norah Hogan April 24, 2021

Village East movie theater reopens to the public

Inga Parkel April 13, 2021

Chinese adoptions halted by COVID

Inga Parkel March 24, 2021

Remote is the new workplace normal

Courtney Guarino March 24, 2021

One year of COVID-19 in New York City

Michelle Diaz March 16, 2021

COVID long haulers deal with lingering symptoms and doubt

Kaity Assaf March 5, 2021

Pandemic Weddings

Chuyan Jiang March 2, 2021

Pandemic fatigue 101

Chuyan Jiang February 28, 2021

Yankee Stadium becomes COVID-19 vaccine site for Bronx residents only

Michelle Diaz February 24, 2021

The queer community rallies behind their sacred spaces closed because of COVID-19

Inga Parkel February 23, 2021

Street vendors struggle as New Yorkers and tourists stay home

Norah Hogan February 13, 2021

Keeping the faith in COVID-19

Courtney Guarino February 3, 2021

Little Italy’s restaurants need indoor dining to survive pandemic

Michelle Diaz February 2, 2021

Stray pets find homes and love during pandemic

Inga Parkel February 1, 2021

No Actors, But the Show Goes On

James Pothen December 5, 2020

New York City, a place of refuge 

Edith Rousselot December 4, 2020

Commuting in a pandemic world

Michelle Diaz December 3, 2020

Battling food insecurities during a pandemic

Courtney Guarino December 3, 2020

Adaptation

Justin McGown December 3, 2020

Honk!: Cars earn a special spot in 2020

Luana Harumi December 3, 2020

Working out looks very different during a pandemic

Chuyan Jiang December 2, 2020

One kitchen’s transformation in the age of isolation

Isabel Beer December 2, 2020

Nursing homes are filled with sadness and loss during pandemic shut down

Inga Parkel December 1, 2020

The show goes on

Norah Hogan December 1, 2020

Loyal members help keep independent cinemas afloat

Courtney Guarino December 1, 2020

Musicians deal with the reality of no live shows as covid takes center stage

Paola Michelle Ortiz December 1, 2020

 Black Friday’s Aftermath

Sughnen Yongo-Okochi November 30, 2020

The Spirit of Little Haiti

Savannah Daniels October 14, 2020

Small business owners hope for future relief

Courtney Guarino October 2, 2020

Brooklyn Book Festival held virtually

Chuyan Jiang September 28, 2020

NYC Restaurant owners worry about maintaining business during winter 

Isabel Beer September 27, 2020

The pandemic is causing mental health struggles for many Latinos

Paola Michelle Ortiz September 24, 2020

New Yorkers are vulnerable to mental issues due to pandemic

Sughnen Yongo-Okochi September 23, 2020

Healthcare professionals struggle with Trump’s decisions during pandemic

Tori Luecking September 23, 2020

Some Americans Say “Not So Fast” on Operation Warp Speed

James Pothen September 23, 2020

Trump voters unfazed by morality of Trump’s Covid response

Norah Hogan September 22, 2020

Trump rallies continue, despite the rising Covid-19 death toll

Isabel Beer September 22, 2020

Latinos weigh in on President Trump’s management of the pandemic

Paola Michelle Ortiz September 21, 2020

Fast track vaccine causes fear

Kaity Assaf September 21, 2020

It’s business as usual at McSorley’s Old Ale House

Tori Luecking September 20, 2020

Trump defiance to hold indoor rallies amidst COVID-19 sparks polarized responses 

Courtney Guarino September 20, 2020

NYC Cafes and restaurants try and survive the pandemic

Isabel Beer September 19, 2020

A typical afternoon at Shade Bar NYC

Kaity Assaf September 19, 2020

West Village staple, Caffe Reggio, remains open for outdoor dining in the wake of coronavirus restrictions 

Norah Hogan September 19, 2020

Fort Greene’s Dino adds outdoor dining to keep business flowing

Courtney Guarino September 19, 2020