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Trump Donor Says President Was ‘Reckless’ to Attend Fundraiser

Trum’s diagnosis threatens to halt fundraisers and his vaunted rallies during the final month of the election.

Trump Donor Says President Was ‘Reckless’ to Attend Fundraiser
U.S. President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House after arriving on Marine One in Washington, D.C., U.S. (Photographer: Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg)

Donald Trump’s decision to attend a New Jersey fundraiser after he knew that one of his top aides tested positive for Covid-19 was “reckless” and imperils other events in the election’s stretch run, a prominent financial backer said Friday.

Dan Eberhart, chief executive officer of Canary Drilling Services LLC, said in a telephone interview that Trump’s campaign should have sent a surrogate once the president was aware that his aide Hope Hicks had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Trump Donor Says President Was ‘Reckless’ to Attend Fundraiser

Trump’s campaign wrote to attendees Friday to notify them “that, as you have probably seen, President Trump confirmed late last night that he and the First Lady were tested for Covid-19 and produced positive test results.”

The email, obtained by Bloomberg News, says no attendees were allowed within six feet of Trump and urged those who were present to seek medical attention if they or their families exhibit symptoms of the disease.

Brandon Dawson, founder and CEO of hearing care company Audigy Group, who attended the event with with his wife, Natalie Workman, posted a photo on Instagram showing them sitting directly across from Trump’s seat. Neither is wearing a mask.

“It was deemed safe for the president to go, he socially distanced, it was an outdoor event, it was deemed safe by White House operations for him to attend,” Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters Friday.

The Trump campaign is switching all in-person events to virtual events “temporarily,” said Bill Stepien, Trump’s campaign manager.

The campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment about Republican criticisms about the fundraiser.

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