Val Demings: Trump requiring medical waivers is ‘good clue’ he shouldn’t hold rally

Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) said Monday that the decision by the Trump campaign to require medical waivers for attendees at an upcoming rally is an indicator that it’s too early to start holding large-scale events again.

“I’ve dealt with evidence and clues for a long time in my career,” Demings, the first woman to serve as chief of the Orlando Police Department, said on ABC’s “The View.” “When you have to sign a medical waiver saying that you won’t hold the president responsible if you contract COVID-19, it’s a pretty good clue that the president should not be holding a rally.”

President Trump plans to hold a rally in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday. Attendees must agree not to sue the Trump campaign or host venue in the event they contract the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has been conducting campaign events online since the pandemic took hold.

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidance urging the organizers of large gatherings to require the use of face coverings among staff.

Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said on Monday that all attendees in Tulsa will be subjected to temperature checks and be given masks and hand sanitizer upon entry.

Demings, a vice presidential contender, stressed Monday that the country is still in the grips of a pandemic.

“We are in the middle of a public health crisis … I am thankful that Vice President Biden is listening to the CDC, our medical experts and our scientists and continuing to practice social distancing,” Demings said.

.@val_demings on Pres. Trump’s upcoming rallies: “When you have to sign a medical waiver saying that you won’t hold the president responsible if you contract COVID-19 is a pretty good clue that the president should not be holding a rally.” https://t.co/cVclFZQmjA pic.twitter.com/U1LZft3Bie

— The View (@TheView) June 15, 2020

The registration page for Trump’s rally in Tulsa includes language that says: “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.”