Appearing Wednesday on CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a longtime cardiologist to former Vice President Dick Cheney, accused President Donald Trump of committing “criminal endangerment” for planning to hold a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday, citing health concerns stemming from the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic.
(Watch from 2:34)
A partial transcript is as follows:
DON LEMON: A Tulsa judge [denied] a lawsuit to stop President Trump from holding his rally there on Saturday. The campaign is requiring people to sign a waiver that says it can’t be held liable if someone gets coronavirus, yet masks are not required. You say this is criminal endangerment?
DR. JONATHAN REINER: Yes, it’s criminal endangerment. Imagine if you had a bunch of underaged kids in your house and you served booze. Now, you didn’t tell those kids to drink, but the alcohol was available and the kids drank and the horrible consequences ensued. So what’s happening here is you’re having people get together, against the advice of the CDC, because this is a high-risk event… this is a crowded event in a place where the virus is, again, very hot right now in a venue packed with people who can’t social distance, and you’re not requiring masks. Why would you endanger people that are your supporters? It’s very simple: He wants the photo op. We say this last week. He endangered protesters for a photo op.