Attending Trump's Saturday Fundraiser Will Really Cost You

Entry fee for new Trump fundraiser this weekend: $580K per couple
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 14, 2020 6:25 AM CST
Entry Fee for New Trump Fundraiser: $580K per Couple
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020, in Washington.   (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Trump has been to nearly 50 "intimate gatherings" with top-level GOP donors over the past two-plus years, per estimates by the Washington Post—but his latest will be his steepest of those fundraisers so far. Billionaire Nelson Peltz is the host, Peltz's estate in Palm Beach, Fla., is the location, and the cost of entry for the Saturday evening event is $580,600 per couple. The Week quips you'll need to "sell that old Renoir on the wall, quickly marry an oligarch ... or ask Mike Bloomberg for a loan" to attend. Republican officials point out that past presidents, including President Obama, also held expensive fundraisers with elite donors. But some are raising eyebrows, pointing to Trump's 2016 vow to "drain the swamp" against practices like these in DC, as they could make candidates beholden to donors.

About 30 people are expected to attend Saturday's event, bringing in at least $10 million for the 2020 reelection war chest for Trump and the GOP. Although it's not clear what's on the menu for this particular happening, past fundraisers usually include photo ops with the president and Trump's favorite foods (including strip steak and vanilla ice cream). Trump is said to be "highly engaged, conversational, and charming" at such events, per past attendees. What's not allowed inside the events anymore: cellphones. (More campaign fundraising stories.)

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