Trump campaign's disclaimer: Rally at your own risk
Updated 10:35, 13-Jun-2020
CGTN
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in North Charleston, S.C., February 28, 2020. /AFP

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in North Charleston, S.C., February 28, 2020. /AFP

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to resume his campaign rallies next week - but attendees have to agree not to hold his campaign liable if they get the coronavirus in the 19,000-seat arena.

An invitation for the June 19 event in Tulsa, Oklahoma asks people to register online for the event - and waive their rights to sue if they get sick.

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By registering to attend, supporters "are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present", the waiver states, adding that attendees and guests "voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19" and agree to not hold the Trump campaign, the venue or other organizers liable.

"There will be safety precautions," Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said Thursday.

Residents line up for free face masks which the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation staff distribute at the Mauro playground, May 5, 2020. /AP

Residents line up for free face masks which the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation staff distribute at the Mauro playground, May 5, 2020. /AP

Trump's campaign officially announced plans on Wednesday for the president's first campaign rally since most of the country shut down to prevent the spread of the virus. He will appear at an indoor venue, the BOK Center, in Tulsa on July 19.

It has been more than three months since the president held his last rally on March 2.

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The rally announcement comes as coronavirus cases are on the rise in some parts of the U.S.. Cases are still increasing in several states, even as others show a downward trend or are holding steady. 

Nationally, more than two million people have been infected by the virus and more than 112,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Experts: Waiver won't block lawsuits 

The attempt by Trump's campaign to shield itself from lawsuits by people who become infected with COVID-19 at his first political rally in months is unlikely to hold up in court, legal experts said. 

A waiver on the Trump campaign's website absolving it from coronavirus-related lawsuits stemming from the June 19 event is "poorly lawyered" and would not be enforceable because it is not specific enough, said David Noll, a law professor at Rutgers University. 

"There are a lot of boxes you have to check in order to have an enforceable liability waiver, and the language they have added to their website is not enough," Noll said. 

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.