Trump tells fans they can't sue him if they get sick at his latest presidential pity party
Although you (but not, pointedly, the public health officials whose actual job it is to monitor this stuff) could be forgiven for forgetting over the last few weeks, America is still suffering through its local part of a global pandemic—despite news that numerous cities across the country are easing up on their COVID lockdowns, on the grounds that, hey, it’s been a minute, right? But don’t worry: The U.S. government is still keeping an eye on this stuff. At least, definitely one part of the U.S. government. Okay, so one part of Donald Trump’s re-election campaign. Which would like to remind you that you’re not allowed to sue it if you catch COVID at one of Trump’s regular little presidential pity parties.
This comes from The New York Times (and a whole host of people on Twitter), who noticed some interesting language in the application for Trump’s latest rally, scheduled for Friday, June 19 (a.k.a. Juneteenth) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Not unlike the language accompanying the re-opening of America’s theme parks—albeit one where the only available ride is the Mental Log Flume, running straight into a pit of ill-applied adjectives for bigness—the application form reminds people that they’re “acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present.” Furthermore, attendees “voluntarily assume all risks related to COVID-19,” promising not to sue Trump, his campaign, or the venue if they manage to super-spread themselves right out of existence by attending the event.
Per The New York Times, the rally will be Trump’s first since the pandemic set in, a mild respite from his regular campaign grunts, albiet one that’s been periodically broken by the White House bathroom resident’s various and sundry Twitter splurts. Oklahoma, meanwhile, has been at the forefront of the burgeoning “Got sick? Fuck you!” movement, having begun re-opening its public facilities as early as late April, despite their being absolutely zero evidence that doing so was even remotely safe. Unlike the other states where Trump is planning rallies—Florida, Arizona, and North Carolina—Oklahoma can at least lay claim to having COVID-19 numbers that are only holding steady, instead of actively going up.