Donald Trump scheduled to visit Utah to briefly meet with donors
Sep 13, 2024, 1:30 PM | Updated: Sep 30, 2024, 3:27 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Donald Trump is scheduled to make a brief visit to the Beehive state on Saturday.
According to Utah’s GOP Chairman Rob Axson, Trump was set to stop by Utah on his way to other states and towns. He said the former president wouldn’t be holding a rally or any public-facing event, but instead a “truncated meeting” with “those who want to donate” so they can do so, Axson said. He did not specify who the donors were.
The stop would be made during a route Trump was traveling in order to hit a string of battleground states ahead of the Nov. 5 election day.
According to the Deseret News, Trump and a group of big-money donors, along with political elites, will meet in a private hangar near the Salt Lake City Airport.
Axson said the Utah Republican Party was eager to welcome Trump, including those who are recent MAGA converts.
Some of Utah’s recent donors include Park City homeowner John Schnatter, who is the founder of pizza conglomerate Papa John’s, and Salt Lake City businessman Scott Keller, Deseret News reported.
The two Utah-based supporters were said to be “big financial backers of Trump opponents in the 2024 presidential primary.”
Expected attendees also include Matt Whitaker, the former acting U.S. attorney general; Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, and radio personality Glenn Beck, Deseret News reported.
Some Utah politicians are expected to make an appearance, including Senate President Stuart Adams, House Speaker Mike Schultz, Attorney General Sean Reyes, and U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens, according to the Deseret News. Sen. Mike Lee told the Deseret News he is “most likely stuck in D.C. this weekend,” and will not be attending.
Cox did not respond to the publication’s inquiry about whether he would be attending Saturday’s fundraiser.
Trump’s Utah appearance follows two canceled fundraisers. The first was originally set for June 27 in Park City, which was canceled due to the CNN presidential debate. The second event, scheduled for Aug. 29, was postponed due to changes in the former president’s schedule.
Attendees of the fundraiser were originally required to donate $3,300, or raise $10,000 for the Trump campaign to get inside the Salt Lake City fundraiser. The Park City invitation required attendees to pay $10,000 per person, or raise $20,000 for the campaign.
The Deseret News reported that the event’s organizers dropped the entry price point to $1,000 “in an effort to shore up attendance.” The prices for VIP access, a photo with Trump, “co-host,” and “host committee,” vary.
The GOP nominee had recently finished his last presidential debate against Democratic nominee and current Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump declared Tuesday he wouldn’t debate her again before election day after the Harris campaign called for one.
This is a breaking news story. It may be updated.
