Members of President Donald Trump’s Bedminster Golf Club ignore Gov. Phil Murphy’s constant calls to social distance when they saw the president’s press conference on Saturday and spoke to reporters who asked questions he did not like.
Bedminster guests came in to watch the press conference, called by Trump at the last minute, and stood together in the back of the room.
A Washington Post White House reporter tweeted that guests were told to keep their distance because reports emerged they were not socially distancing themselves wearing masks.
And then a correspondent from the Reuters White House said that masks were handed out shortly thereafter.
Murphy has used his regular letter information for coronavirus to persuade New Jerseyans to wear masks within and social distance.
“Please keep it, the face covering, no house parties, social distance, wash hands with soap and water, stay away if you do not feel well, get tested,” the mayor said Friday.
Murphy spokeswoman Alyana Alfaro Post declined to comment.
Earlier this month, Murphy tightened the rules for indoor meetings to no more than 25 people, except for weddings, funerals and religious and political events, such as coronavirus cases spiked in the state.
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Trump’s decision to hold a press conference with guests standing close together without masks drew criticism on social media, including from Walter Shaub, the former head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics.
At the press conference, Trump was asked about the fact that his guests were maskless and had guidelines for social distancing.
“You said the pandemic was going to go away, but we lost 6,000 Americans this week,” one reporter asked. “And right in this room, you have dozens of people not following the guidelines in New Jersey that say you should have no more than 25 people.”
“Why do you set such a bad example?” asked the reporter to be angry.
Trump said the guests, he said, asked to attend the press conference, “almost everyone has masks on.”
He also said his meeting was exempt from any regulations.
“You know, you have an exclusion in the law,” Trump said. ‘It says – exactly -‘ political activity ‘as’ peaceful protests. ‘And you could call it’ political activity ‘, but I would call it’ peaceful protest ‘because they heard you were coming up. And they know the news is false. They understand it better than anyone.
At that point, the audience cheered.
They cheered again when Trump advised a reporter on questions about the National Intelligence Service’s report and director of security center William Evanina that Russia was actively seeking to re-elect the president.
Evanina also said that China and Iran hope to lose Trump in November, but neither works to defeat him at this time.
Russia, he said, was the only country so far actively involved in trying to influence the US election in 2020.
And Russia was the first country named in question.
“Like the question about Russia,” Trump said. “He does not mention that Iran was in the report. He does not mention it, or he mentions very late that China was in the report. ”
“China wants to pray,” exclaimed one of the Bedminster guests.
“That’s how they are,” Trump continued. ‘If the press in this country were honest, if it was not corrupt, if it were not false, our country would be so much ahead. But we do it great. ‘
The guests of Bedminster applauded then.
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Jonathan D. Salant can be reached to [email protected].
