As President Donald Trump prepared to return to the campaign trail amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, administration officials and several close advisers warned him of the dangers that could come with packing a venue full of his political supporters.

He was not dissuaded.

“He’s been [gently] reminded of the concerns,” said a senior administration official, regarding the potential for spreading the virus at large public gatherings. “The president said something like, ‘My team will make sure everyone is safe [at my rallies].’”

On Wednesday, Trump announced that he would be holding his first rally since the lockdown began in March—an event on Friday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, followed by ones in other states soon after. The rallies promise to be boisterous, celebratory affairs—already pitched by the campaign as the first chapter of a roaring Trump comeback. They also reflect the triumph of political interests over public health warnings—a development aided by state governors who’ve made similar calculations—and racial tensions that led to mass rallies. On Thursday, the Trump campaign’s official announcement of the Tulsa event came with a symbolic, chilling footnote: By attending the event, it read, those registering “agree not to hold Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.” and others liable for any potential COVID-19 infection.

“People have to decide what is most important to them: You can peacefully assemble and march in protests and wear a mask outdoors very safely. But people are also deciding in particular cases that justice is worth the risk,” said Andy Slavitt, former acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under the Obama administration. “Likewise, if the rallies are not going to be indoors and not socially distant, Trump is saying, ‘My re-election is more important than public health.’ The virus is a way for people to demonstrate their values when a lot is at stake.”