COVID-19: Trump Shares With Rich Pals at Bedminster

After learning that his close aide Hope Hicks had tested positive for COVID-19, President Donald Trump returned to the White House to begin 14 days of quarantine after testing positive.

But not before meeting — unmasked — with 100 rich supporters at Trump Bedminster golf club in New Jersey. Mr. Trump’s campaign got about $5 million from the event; in exchange, his wealthy supporters got photos with the president and exposure to the novel coronavirus.

Mr. Trump knew Ms. Hicks had COVID-19 before he went to Bedminster, just like he knew the virus was deadly and easily transmitted back in January, before he let 200,000 Americans die from it. Bedminster exhibits a truly nonpartisan callous indifference to human life.

More:

“Donald Trump Mingled Without a Mask at a New Jersey Fundraiser,” Russ Choma, Mother Jones

“Attendees of Trump fundraiser in Bedminster cautioned after president’s positive COVID-19 test,” Nick Muscavage, Bridgewater Courier News

“It’s OK to Be Furious at Trump About His Covid Diagnosis,” Michael Schaffer, Washingtonian

Updates:

“Trump Team Knew of Hicks’ Positive Test—but Went Ahead With Golf Club Fundraiser,”
Jamie Ross, Daily Beast

“Trump critics can’t believe he went to buffet fundraiser hours before his COVID-19 announcement,” Tim O’Donnell, The Week

“Trump Mingled Mask-Less at Golf Club Fundraiser,” Liz Landers, Vice News

“Trump’s New Jersey event showed perilous neglect for his staff, supporters – and himself,” Ed Pilkington, The Guardian

“Officials racing to contact 206 guests who attended Trump’s New Jersey fundraiser,” Sam Sutton, Politico

“NJ contacting Bedminster fundraiser staff, White House taking lead on donors for COVID exposures,” Ashley Balcerzak, NorthJersey.com

“Day after seeing Trump at Bedminster fundraiser, guests ‘flabbergasted’ to learn he was stricken,” Olivia Rubin, Matthew Mosk, Soo Rin Kim, and Will Steakin, ABC News

Related:

“Report: Trump kept quiet about 1st positive COVID-19 test,” Catherine Garcia, The Week

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Donald Trump, Hat-Salesman-In-Chief

President Trump visited storm-wracked, flood-ravaged Texas last Tuesday and offered victims these heartfelt words of comfort: “What a crowd. What a turnout!” He was accompanied by the current Mrs. Trump, easily identified by her five-inch heels and a black baseball cap helpfully labeled “FLOTUS.” If you want to buy Melania’s disaster-zone garb, the snakeskin Manolo Blahnik stilettos will set you back $600, and you’ll have to settle for a knock-off FLOTUS cap.

But you can get her husband’s hurricane hat, an Official 45th President “U-S-A” cap, by forking over $40 to the Donald Trump Re-Election Campaign. That’s right, 7 months into his first do-nothing term, Mr. Trump is already flogging hats to fashion-forward fans to fund his 2020 run. After all, that’s how he funded his 2016 campaign, remember?

President Trump and the missus got such bad press from Tuesday’s Texas stumble that they had a do-over on Saturday. Another chance to advertise the family head-wear business.

More:

“How President Trump turned hurricane relief into product placement for campaign swag,” Jordan Libowitz, Washington Post

“Trump’s ‘USA’ Hat Criticized by Ethics Group and Those Who Don’t Like Ugly Hats,” Adam K. Raymond, New York Magazine

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Red-Meat Republicans

In the 2014 Republican primary, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s campaign and PAC spent nearly $170,000 at DC power steakhouses, chiefly Bobby Van’s and BLT Steak. His victorious opponent Dave Brat’s entire campaign cost $122,000.

“”It’s rare that you would see a fundraiser at a Ruby Tuesday or a Chipotle,’ said Lisa Spies, a veteran GOP fundraiser …. ‘You’ve got to spend money to raise money.’

In the 2014 cycle, all federal candidates have spent just over $9,000 on Chipotle, and $1,229 at Ruby Tuesday, according to numbers compiled by CQ Moneyline. In the same span, they have spent more than $400,000 at Bobby Van’s.”

—  “Why Eric Cantor chose Bobby Van’s,” Eric Tau, Politico

It works. Cantor’s campaign raked in $5.5 million and his PAC took in $3.5 million more while Brat raised $206,663.

But the median annual household income in Virginia’s 7th District is $64,751, the value of the average family home is $188,400, and it’s a pretty long drive to Bobby Van’s.

Related:

“Elites Beware: Eric Cantor’s Defeat May Signal a Populist Revolution,” Ron Fournier, National Journal

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Gingrich Campaign: What’s Next, a Bake Sale?

Former Tiffany Candidate Newt Gingrich is running out of money for his presidential campaign. Cut off by the Las Vegas casino owner who was bankrolling him, the visionary thinker has come up with a typically grandiose fundraising solution. From now on if you want your photo taken with the former House Speaker it will cost you 50 bucks. According to reports, it will take a mere 32,000 fan photos to get the Gingrich campaign out of debt.

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Sharron Shills on Fox News

 

Sharron Angle at a recent party:

“… here’s the deal: when I get a friendly press outlet — not so much the guy that’s interviewing me — it’s their audience that I’m trying to reach. So, if I can get on Rush Limbaugh, and I can say, “Harry Reid needs $25 million. I need a million people to send twenty five dollars to SharronAngle.com.” The day I was able to say that [even], he made $236,000 dollars. That’s why it’s so important. Somebody … I’m going on Bill O’Reilly the 16th. They say, “Bill O’Reilly, you better watch out for that guy, he’s not necessarily a friendly” … Doesn’t matter, his audience is friendly, and if I can get an opportunity to say that at least once on his show — when I said it on Sean Hannity’s television show we made $40,000 before we even got out of the studio in New York.”

Alex Pareene:

“So, again, Fox News is the communications arm of the ultra-conservative wing of the Republican Party. The fun part is that even when Bill O’Reilly does his “I’m just an independent” thing and actually questions a Republican, all his viewers hear and see is ‘send this woman money.'”

 

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Fear-Mongering for Fun and Profit

 

The Republican National Committee is planning to raise money from the little guy by scaring the bejesus out of him. The more fear, the more funds for the GOP in the next election cycle. Politico‘s Ben Smith got the Powerpoint RNC Finance Director Rob Bickhart pitched to top GOP fundraisers in February. Ugly stuff.

“Exclusive: RNC document mocks donors, plays on ‘fear,'” Ben Smith, Politico.

“GOP: Nothing To Sell But Fear Itself,” Tim Dickinson, Rolling Stone.

 

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