WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump chose Dallas for his first campaign stop since the pandemic began nearly three months ago, rubbing elbows at a June 11 dinner with big donors. .
According to campaign officials, about 25 people are expected to be invited to the dinner party at a private residence.
Participation fee: $580,600 per couple, or about $7 million. This includes two meals and a photo opportunity with the president, according to the invitation.
The president plans to hold a similar event two days later at a golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, priced at $250,000 per person, Republican officials said. That works out to just over $6 million.
Roy Bailey, a Dallas businessman and Trump Victory campaign's national finance co-chair, said the president's supporters in Texas are excited about the president's visit.
“He wants to come out and he knows Texas is friendly and has a lot of great supporters,” Bailey said. “We're all excited about the event.”
He said the campaign held a virtual Texas/Oklahoma fundraiser on Thursday led by Donald Trump Jr. and featuring former Gov. Rick Perry, Sen. Ted Cruz and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. It is said that it was held.
Texas Democrats were not amused by news of President Trump's impending visit.
“Leave it to Donald Trump to host an expensive fundraiser in Dallas while 2 million Texans are now unemployed and our country suffers from complete insecurity,” party spokesperson Abhi Rahman said. “Trump should spend a little less time on fundraisers and golfing and replace it with that,” he said. Do the job he was chosen to do. Texans around the world are tired of Trump's show. We must have truly competent leadership in the White House. America cannot afford to continue this for another four years. ”
President Trump has not held a campaign rally since Feb. 28 in Charleston, South Carolina, where he called the coronavirus the Democratic Party's “new hoax.” At the time, there were only 59 confirmed cases and two deaths in the United States.
Three months later, more than 100,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the United States alone, and more than 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment insurance.
Dallas is full of die-hard Republicans, including investor Tommy Hicks Jr., co-chair of the RNC and a close friend of Donald Trump Jr. dallas morning news.
But Dallas is not Trump country. The county judge and mayor are Democrats, and local politics are dominated by Democrats. Hillary Clinton defeated Trump 61-35 in the county, despite a 52% statewide response rate.
President Trump is itching to resume normal campaign activities and is urging states to lift stay-at-home orders that have slowed the outbreak at great cost to the economy.
The president has been enthusiastic about Gov. Greg Abbott, who took early action to ease restrictions, but even in Texas, the packed arenas that have long been a staple of Trump's schedule Events remain out of the question.
Intimate dinners are not President Trump's preferred venue, but the president played golf last Saturday and Sunday to end his 11-week hiatus, relaxing and getting into campaign mode. It's a way to get back.
At the Dallas event, attendees must have a negative COVID-19 test that day, fill out a health questionnaire and pass a temperature check. Trump victory will cover the cost of coronavirus testing.
“Trump Victory's top priority is to ensure the safety of President Trump and those in attendance, which includes testing of all attendees, as well as several other safety measures consistent with CDC guidance. included,” a Republican official said, referring to the joint venture. Earnings between the president's re-election campaign, the RNC, and 22 state political parties.
The event venue will be “professionally cleaned and disinfected” before the president's arrival. And White House medical unit and Secret Service personnel will make sure anyone infected with COVID-19 stays away there.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has not traveled far from his home in Delaware during the pandemic. He has done a number of virtual fundraisers and other events. President Trump has flown to Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Florida in recent weeks — all potential battlegrounds — and returned to Florida on Saturday for a SpaceX rocket launch that was canceled due to bad weather on Wednesday. I hope to see you there.
All of these day trips focused on official business, such as touring factories that make masks and other medical protective equipment. Mr. Trump made many political statements, but there was no overt campaigning.
The White House did not say whether there would be any “official” elements to that day's visit to Dallas. Presidents typically organize such events with taxpayers subsidizing their costs, which can be significant for Air Force One and the security associated with presidential travel.
Trump has received a warm welcome from supporters during his previous visits to Dallas, but there have also been bitter protests. In October 2017, when he raised $4 million from donors, chants of “Liar, liar” and “Go home, cheat” rang out downtown.
