Trump is making rally attendees sign a waver so if they catch the coronavirus and die, it's on them not him

Trump rally
President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. March 2, 2020.

Lucas Jackson/Reuters

  • The Trump campaign is requiring people to sign a waiver and "assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19" before attending an upcoming Make America Great Again rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

  • The disclaimer appears at the bottom of a registration form on Trump's official 2020 campaign website.

  • Current CDC guidelines warn that "large events and mass gatherings can contribute to the spread of COVID-19" and encourage event organizers "to prepare for the possibility of outbreaks in their communities."

  • Trump previously had to cancel several other campaign rallies due to restrictions put in place to stem the coronavirus spread.

  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Trump campaign is requiring people to sign a waiver and "assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19" before attending a Make America Great Again rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The disclaimer appears at the bottom of a registration form on Trump's official 2020 campaign website for an upcoming Make America Great Again rally to be held at the Bank of Oklahoma Center.

"By clicking register below, you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present," the disclaimer notes.

"By attending the Rally, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.; BOK Center; ASM Global; or any of their affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, contractors, or volunteers liable for any illness or injury."

trump waiver screenshot
A waiver at the bottom of the Trump campaign website requires people to acknowledge the risks of COVID-19 exposure before attending a campaign rally.

Screenshot/donaldjtrump.com

According to the BOK Center website, several major events and concerts have had to be canceled due to the coronavirus.

Trump previously had to cancel several other reelection rallies due to restrictions put in place to stem the coronavirus spread.

The US has the largest number of coronavirus cases worldwide and the highest death toll. As of June 11, the virus has infected over two million people and killed over 113,000 in the US.

Still, experts have warned about a potential resurgence of the virus as the country moves towards lifting restrictions and reopening its economy.

According to Associated Press, coronavirus cases are rising in nearly half of all US states, which has alarmed experts monitoring the virus spread.

A spokesperson for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week that it was closely monitoring "protests and other large gatherings," which "make it difficult to maintain our recommended social distancing guidelines and may put others at risk."

Current CDC guidelines warn that "large events and mass gatherings can contribute to the spread of COVID-19" and encourages event organizers "to prepare for the possibility of outbreaks in their communities."

Trump's upcoming rally is significant because it is slated for June 19 — also known as Juneteenth — which marks the emancipation of the last remaining enslaved African Americans in the Confederacy at the end of the Civil War.

The location of the rally is also significant — some have noted that the Oklahoma city was the site of the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921, where mobs of white Americans attacked Black residents and businesses in one of the worst incidences of racial violence in American history.

Discussions about systemic racism in the US have been thrust to the forefront of the national agenda in the wake of George Floyd's May 25 death. Floyd, a Black man, was killed after being knelt on by a white police officer for several minutes. His death has sparked protests across all 50 states and around the globe.

Trump has previously called Floyd's death a "grave tragedy" but has not spoken out against police brutality or improving race relations in the US.

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