The New Jersey Department of Health is being met with resistance as it tries to reach all 206 people who attended President Donald Trump’s fundraiser at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., leading the governor to call for more help from the White House and the Republican National Committee.
Trump announced he tested positive for the coronavirus hours after the October 1st meet-and-greet. Over the weekend, at least one person who attended said he would not quarantine.
Republican Senate candidate Rik Mehta, who is running against Sen. Cory Booker, said there was no reason to quarantine because he never got close to the President.
Mehta said he was continuing to hold campaign events, including a “meet-and-greet” on Saturday in Sayreville. He called it “fear mongering” that Governor Phil Murphy requested all attendees of the Trump event to quarantine for 14 days.
On Monday, Murphy reiterated that request and called-out Mehta for not doing so.
“I think that statement should disqualify him from seeking public office,” Murphy said.
It’s up to the New Jersey Attorney General to investigate violations of the governor’s executive orders that might have occurred at the Trump event, Murphy said.
“There’s been some discussion that there was buffet-like food set-ups,” Murphy said. “Buffets are prohibited in our state, there can be food service, but you have to be at your place and it has to be brought to you.”
Murphy called the president’s decision to hold the fund-raiser “reckless” and expressed frustration that neither the White House nor the Republican National Committee had provided enough information about the people who attended the event. The state is still seeking email addresses for 22 people, and would like phone numbers for everyone.
“We continue to need to see a more robust federal partnership here,” Murphy said. “We need more out of the feds.”
The White House is reportedly not any contract tracing of those who attended the Rose Garden introduction of Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, which is now widely thought to have been a super-spreader event.
In New Jersey, Health Commissioner Judy Persichelli says some of those contacted for the Bedminster event have been positive, thanking the contact tracers and saying they would pass the word around. But that hasn’t been the response from all.
“Some not so positive,” Persichelli said, which prompted Murphy to jump in during the online video briefing on Monday. “Including ‘how did you get my name?’” Murphy said some people are responding. “The Republican National Committee, in case anybody is watching, is how we got your name.”
The health department is also in touch with 19 employees of Trump National Golf Club who worked at the event, most of whom live in Somerset County in New Jersey. The guests came from all over, including several other states. For instance, one attendee, Charlie Kolean, posted a photo on Instagram from Texas on September 21st. Texas is a state on New Jersey’s travel advisory, and visitors from travel advisory states are expected to quarantine for 14 days.
The Trump campaign raised $5 million dollars from the event. Murphy lambasted the decision not to call off the gathering after the White House learned that Hope Hicks, a senior aide to the president, had tested positive for COVID right before the trip. Jared Kushner, senior aide Dan Scavino, and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany were among staffers who were reportedly told not to attend the fundraiser at the last minute. McEnany and at least a dozen others in Trump’s inner circle have since tested positive for the virus.
“That trip was completely unacceptable, completely reckless, completely uncalled for,” Murphy said. “We have enough trouble dealing with what we have to deal with inside the four walls of New Jersey.”
