President visited his businesses 20 times since first reports of what's now known as coronavirus
President visited his businesses 20 times since first reports of what's now known as coronavirus
Since Chinese officials first reported a cluster of acute respiratory illness, president visited four different Trump businesses a total of 20 times
President Donald J. Trump made at least 20 visits to his properties since Dec. 31, 2019, when Chinese officials first reported a cluster of cases of respiratory illness, according to 1100 Pennsylvania’s analysis. Over that span he called on four different Trump businesses: Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, Doral, and the D.C. hotel.
Dec. 31, 2019
“Chinese health officials reported a cluster of cases of acute respiratory illness in persons associated with the Hunan seafood and animal market in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province.” – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [bold added throughout]
Dec. 31, 2019–Jan. 5, 2020
Already at Mar-a-Lago since Dec. 20, 2019, Trump left to visit his Palm Beach golf club before he returned to his resort for a New Year’s gala. He spent a total of five days at Mar-a-Lago, while heading to his golf course three more times (Jan. 1, 2, 4) [all dates via 1100 Pennsylvania’s earlier reporting and Factba.se]
Jan. 1, 2020
“The CDC…began developing reports for HHS [the Department of Health and Human Services].” – Yasmeen Abutaleb, Josh Dawsey, Ellen Nakashima, and Greg Miller for The Washington Post
Jan. 3, 2020
China’s embassy in the United States says it notified the U.S. government about the epidemic.
“Within days, U.S. spy agencies were signaling the seriousness of the threat to Trump by including a warning about the coronavirus—the first of many—in the President’s Daily Brief.” –Abutalen, Dawsey, Nakshima, and Miller for The Washington Post
Jan. 7, 2020
“Chinese health officials confirmed that a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was associated with this initial cluster…CDC established a 2019-nCoV Incident Management Structure.” – CDC
Jan. 11, 2020
China reported the first death from coronavirus, reported xinhuanet.com (via ABC News).
Jan. 17–19, 2020
Trump spent three days at Mar-a-Lago, visiting Trump Palm Beach twice. At his Florida resort, the president addressed the Palm Beach Police & Fire Foundation and posed with other customers.
Jan. 21, 2020
“The first person in the United States with diagnosed 2019-nCoV infection was reported…CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center to optimize coordination for domestic and international 2019-nCoV response efforts.” – CDC
Jan. 22, 2020
“Trump received his first question about the coronavirus in an interview on CNBC while in Davos. Asked whether he was worried about a potential pandemic, Trump said, ‘No. Not at all. And we have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China…It’s going to be just fine.’” – Abutalen, Dawsey, Nakshima, and Millerfor The Washington Post
Jan. 23, 2020
Trump visited Doral to deliver remarks to one of its best customers, the Republican National Committee.
Jan. 29, 2020
The White House announced its coronavirus task force.
Jan. 30, 2020
“The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General declared that the 2019-nCoV outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” – CDC
Jan. 31, 2020
“The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary declared a U.S. public health emergency to respond to 2019-nCoV…The president of the United States signed a ‘Proclamation on Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Persons who Pose a Risk of Transmitting 2019 Novel Coronavirus,’ which limits entry into the United States of persons who traveled to mainland China to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents and their families.” – CDC
Jan. 31–Feb. 2, 2020
Trump spent three days at Mar-a-Lago, visiting Trump Palm Beach three times. Friday the president addressed the Trumpettes’ annual gala at Mar-a-Lago, while Sunday he attended a Super Bowl party at Palm Beach. Diamond and Silk were there. Other customers called meeting the president at his private club “#surreal,” “TRUMP-tastic” and the “memory of a lifetime,” as 1100 Pennsylvania reported at the time.
Feb. 4, 2020
“A total of 20,471 confirmed cases, including 2,788 (13.6%) with severe illness, and 425 deaths (2.1%) had been reported by the National Health Commission of China…A total of 293 persons from 36 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands were under investigation.” – CDC
Feb. 6, 2020
“On Feb. 6, when the World Health Organization reported that it was shipping 250,000 test kits to labs around the world, the CDC began distributing 90 kits to a smattering of state-run health labs.” – Abutalen, Dawsey, Nakshima, and Miller for The Washington Post
Feb. 12, 2020
Trump delivered remarks to a fundraising committee reception at his D.C. hotel. He also swung by to visit another group of customers, a gathering of evangelical women, that never made it to his official calendar, an 1100 Pennsylvania scoop at the time.
Feb. 14–16, 2020
Trump spent three days at Mar-a-Lago, visiting Trump Palm Beach once.
Feb. 16, 2020
Trump visited his D.C. hotel to fête his special assistant Stephen Miller and Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary Katie Rose Waldman at their wedding.
Feb. 29, 2020
“On Feb. 29, a Washington state man became the first American to die of a coronavirus infection.” – Abutalen, Dawsey, Nakshima, and Miller for The Washington Post
March 6–9, 2020
After touring a CDC facility in Atlanta while wearing one of his campaign’s Keep America Great hats, Trump headed to Mar-a-Lago for a four-day stay. He also visited Trump Palm Beach twice. At Mar-a-Lago, he hosted Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro and other Brazilian officials, some of whom later tested positive for the coronavirus. The president also stopped by Kimberly Guilfoyle’s donor-funded birthday party to seranade her, reported Kenneth P. Vogel, Steve Eder, and Nicholas Confessore for The New York Time). At Palm Beach, Trump golfed with baseball players.
April 6, 2020
More than 350,000 people in the United States have confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 10,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
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Reference section
Links to rundowns of developments in the House’s investigations and lawsuits, reference sheets for some of 1100 Pennsylvania’s previous reporting, and articles that provide the background on why all of this matters. The date published or last updated is in parentheses.
Trackers
House investigations (March 27, 2020)
Lawsuits (March 1, 2020)
Breakdown of judges’ rulings by political party of presidents who nominated them (March 1, 2020)
Health inspections (latest change Jan. 27, 2020)
Notable hotel customers
Foreign governments with representatives spotted at the Trump Hotel D.C.: 31 (March 4, 2020)
Trump cabinet members spotted at the Trump Hotel D.C.: 26 of 33 (Feb. 18, 2020)
U.S. Senators who’ve supported the Trump Hotel D.C.: 33 of 53 Republicans, one Democrat (Feb. 21, 2020)
House Judiciary members who’ve supported the Trump Hotel D.C.: Seven of 17 Republicans, no Democrats (Oct. 17, 2019)
House Intelligence members who’ve supported the Trump Hotel D.C.: Five of nine Republicans, 0 Democrats (Feb. 7, 2020)
House Oversight members who’ve supported the Trump Hotel D.C.: Six of 17 Republicans, no Democrats (Feb. 21, 2020)
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management who’ve supported the Trump Hotel D.C.: Five out of six Republicans, one Democrat (March 5, 2020)
Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R–CA) found Trump’s hotels competitive only after Trump’s election (Sept. 12, 2019)
Rudy Giuliani at the Trump Hotel D.C: A retrospective (April 30, 2019)
Summaries
25 unimpeachable examples of Trump profiting from his hotel: Foreign governments, Trump administration, GOP lawmakers, industry all have called on the Trump Hotel D.C. since its owner became president (Sept. 27, 2019)
“Power tripping in the swamp: How Trump’s D.C. hotel swallowed Washington
The MAGA social scene is a movable feast, but its dark heart resides within the Old Post Office Building, where the Trump Org operates under a mercenary charter” by your correspondent for Vanity Fair (October 2019)“Inside the world’s most controversial hotel: The hotel that was expected to take its place among the crown jewels of D.C.’s travel scene has become a magnet for protestors, a West Wing Annex, and—possibly—the center of a constitutional crisis.” by your correspondent for Condé Nast Traveler (May 2018)
Upcoming key dates
Sept. 23, 2019—House Judiciary Committee hearing “Presidential corruption: Emoluments and profiting off the presidency” (postponed, not yet rescheduled)
March 20, 2020—Status hearing before D.C. Superior Court in former hotel employees’ lawsuit alleging racial discrimination, postponed due to coronavirus-related closure
March 31, 2020—Before postponement due to coronavirus-related closure, the Supreme Court was to hear Trump’s appeal of earlier rulings requiring his financial institutions to comply with subpoenas from House Financial Services, Intelligence, and Oversight Committees and the New York district attorney’s office
April 6, 2020—Deadline for parties to exchange witness lists in lawsuit alleging a shard of glass from a sabered bottle of champagne left a gash in a customer’s chin
June 2020—Before postponement or oral arguments due to a coronavirus-related closure, Supreme Court decision due on Trump’s appeal of earlier rulings requiring his financial institutions to comply with subpoenas from House Financial Services, Intelligence, and Oversight
Aug. 10, 2020—Scheduling conference before D.C. Superior Court in D.C. attorney general’s lawsuit alleging improperly spent nonprofit funds by the Trump Hotel D.C. and Trump’s inaugural committee
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