Did President Trump Commit a Crime When He Knowingly Came to Minnesota with COVID and Told Nobody?
According to some of the public statements from the White House and Walter Reed Medical Center, President Trump knew that he had COVID19 as early as Wednesday afternoon. At the time, the doctors and the President’s staff were simply discussing medical timelines and didn’t contemplate legal or political implications. Not long thereafter, when people started asking questions, the WH Spin machine was switched on to overdrive. “Um, no, what we meant to say, what we thought we were saying was, um um um . . . “
It is irrefutable that President was in Minnesota raising money for his Presidential campaign on Thursday. It is also irrefutable that the President was seen in public in our fair State, didn’t have a mask on and had close contact with hundreds and hundreds of other individuals just like he did in New Jersey where he met with those who dropped $50,000 a plate to sit with him and have their pictures taken. All the time, he continued to breathe in Minnesota air and breathe out, well . . . So, if he knew and did it anyway, is it a crime? Should it be?
I’m thinking about Minnesota criminal laws involving spreading of STDs as well as some other statutes. Specifically, under Minnesota statute 609.2241, Knowing Transfer of Communicable Disease. One of the problems with this statute is the definition of “transfer” but I like that it uses this phrase, “A person who knowingly harbors an infectious agent.” However, it simply doesn't ‘t stop there. Knowing that you can hurt somebody, potentially even kill them and willfully continue to do so puts this in a slightly different place. I’m thinking about reasonableness, about terroristic threats, a felony, and a few other charges. How about Minnesota statutory language like this, "engages in conduct with reckless disregard for human life?" If somebody were to catch this from the President and then died, couldn’t that be enough for manslaughter? An interesting question.
The White House has been working hard to muddy the timeline but if these are hard dates, this is certainly a conversation worth discussing. I also acknowledge that tracing would absolutely be problematic. Was it the President who infected you, etc? Thats all true and makes sense. I am also aware of Presidential immunity. Nevertheless, if we contemplate the willful negligence and cavalier attitude, is it real that far fetched?
Maybe the final point, if it is not a crime, should it be? If I know, I mean know, that I have a communicable disease and that I then purposely go out and do very thing that scientists have proven causes the spread of the virus itself? Would that be enough? Why or why not?