Donald Trump to host $75k per-person fundraiser at the Kentucky Derby: What we know

Former US President Donald Trump is slated to host a $75,000-per-person fundraiser at the Kentucky Derby on Saturday as he visits the home state of Senator Mitch McConnell, with whom he has had a feud of late.

First reported by The New York Times two weeks ago, Trump’s fundraiser has since been confirmed by the organisers of the event.

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“It’s not unusual for a high-profile guest to have an event on our property during Derby Day. But Churchill Downs is not an organizer of that event. We coordinate as is operationally necessary to ensure safe, smooth operations and that it doesn’t interfere with other guests’ activity,” a spokesperson for Churchill Downs, where the races are being held, told the publication.

Details about Trump’s guest list are sparse but the NYT reports that former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi, former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell, former acting attorney general Matthew G. Whitaker, and Donald Trump Jr.’s fiancée and television personality Kimberly Guilfoyle are among the attendees.

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With the Kentucky Derby being one of the biggest races of the year, and 2022 being an election year, several high-profile politicians are expected to be in attendance, some of whom may also attend Trump’s fundraiser.

NYT further reported that the fundraiser will take place at a semi-private space in Millionaire’s Row, a stand high above the Derby grounds, and that the Secret Service had been coordinating with organisers to arrange security for the former President.

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The fundraiser, the purpose of which is not immediately clear, takes on particular importance in light of former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s suggestion that Trump is likely to run for President again in the 2024 election.

The 75-year-old, however, will not cross paths with political adversary and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel, who will be in Utah attending a memorial for Senator Orrin Hatch, a long time friend who recently passed away.