Donald Trump Reportedly Cancels Plans For Election Night Party At His Hotel, Will Stay At White House Instead
Donald Trump has reportedly canceled plans to hold a party at his Washington, D.C., hotel on election night, opting to stay at the White House instead.
As The Hill noted, the president had planned to hold a celebration at the Trump International Hotel in the nation’s capital, but has called off the party and will move into his residence to follow results. Citing The New York Times, the report noted that the event had originally been touted by the campaign, which sent fundraising emails to donors announcing a drawing for one winner to join the president at his hotel.
“November 3rd will go down in history as the night we won FOUR MORE YEARS,” the email read. “It will be absolutely EPIC, and the only thing that could make it better is having YOU there.”
The report noted that Eric Trump said during an appearance on Fox News this week that the campaign was considering moving the get-together to the White House. He predicted it would be a “great night” for his father.
While Trump and his allies have expressed confidence in the final days before the votes are tallied, polls show that he may have a difficult road to re-election. Democratic candidate Joe Biden has widened his lead in national polling while also leading Trump in a series of key battleground states, including ones that Trump won in 2016 to propel him to a surprise victory over Hillary Clinton. Biden has also expanded the electoral map, polling within striking distance of the president in a number of traditionally red states like Georgia and Texas.
The Hill reported that any party thrown in Washington would have been intimate, with the capital’s coronavirus restrictions prohibiting any events with more than 50 people, including all attendees and staff. Moving the festivities to the White House could allow the campaign to expand the guest list, as Trump has held a number of large and in-person events on its grounds. That has come with some heavy criticism, including a reception for then-Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett that was connected to an outbreak of COVID-19 cases that included positive tests for Trump, his wife, and their son.
Trump has not had difficulty drawing crowds in the final days before the election, holding a series of large rallies as he traveled to key states. This has come under fire from critics as well, with many warning that the crowded venues and lack of social distancing could present a danger amid a surge in coronavirus cases.
