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- President Donald Trump is scrapping a more conventional election night watch party at his Washington, DC, hotel in favor of a more pared-down event at the White House, according to The New York Times.
- Eric Trump, the president’s second-youngest son, came just short of confirming the report during a Friday interview on “Fox & Friends.”
- “No, we’re thinking about moving it, actually, over to the White House for — we’re looking at that right now, and it’s going to be a great night. It’s going to be a really, really beautiful night,” he said.
- The Trump campaign sent out several fundraising emails asking supporters to join the president and first lady on election night, but a location was not specified. Guest attendance at the White House would be far more limited than at a Trump hotel.
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An initially planned but not formally announced election night party at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC, has been scrapped in favor of a more low-key event at the White House, according to The New York Times.
President Donald Trump’s watch party in 2016 was at the Hilton on 6th Avenue in Manhattan.
“It was unclear why the plans had changed,” the Times’ Maggie Haberman wrote. “But the prospect of the president appearing on the night of the election at the hotel was certain to reinforce concerns about Mr. Trump mingling the office with his business … And a party would have to be paid for by the campaign, which is facing a cash crunch in the final weeks of the race.”
In a Friday morning interview on “Fox & Friends,” Eric Trump stopped short of confirming the report, but indicated that the White House will likely be the venue.
“No, we’re thinking about moving it, actually, over to the White House for — we’re looking at that right now, and it’s going to be a great night. It’s going to be a really, really beautiful night,” he said.
Trump's advisers had been privately saying the plan was to hold the election night event at the hotel, according to Haberman. The Trump campaign also sent out multiple fundraising emails asking supporters to donate for a chance to join the president and first lady at a watch part at an unspecified location.
Any event at the White House would inherently accommodate fewer guests than the Trump hotel.
The White House did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.