While active campaigning for the 2020 presidential election has been suspended by the major candidates, staffers for President Trump’s reelection campaign have been anonymously donating meals to hospitals where coronavirus has hit the hardest.
Included are hospitals from New York, Washington state, Michigan, and New Jersey, a report noted this week.
Brooke Singman, a political correspondent for Fox News, reported that the Trump campaign has been undertaking the effort since last week.
“They’re doing it as a donor who cares,” a source was quoted as saying. “So nothing politically is tied to it. … We’re just trying to, you know, show a thank you.”
“They’re trying to send things that are like, local restaurants that may need support [and] cool restaurant icons of the area that may need the business,” a source said.
Singman tweeted about the effort, noting the president’s campaign “has been quietly calling local restaurants and ordering large amounts of food to be delivered to hospitals in an effort to feed doctors, nurses & first responders and support local restaurants.”
EXCLUSIVE: @realDonaldTrump's campaign has been quietly calling local restaurants and ordering large amounts of food to be delivered to hospitals in an effort to feed doctors,nurses& first responders and support local restaurants #coronavirus #COVID19 https://t.co/6A3Zfe5QEz
— Brooke Singman (@BrookeSingman) April 2, 2020
Singman noted that employees at Chit Chat Diner in Hackensack, N.J., were some of the recipients of the Trump campaign’s outreach.
“An anonymous donation providing lunch to some hardworking staff at Hackensack Hospital this afternoon. We are so grateful,” the restaurant posted to Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-aDD7dF7UI/
Another order came from Antonio’s Trattoria and was sent to 100 people at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx.
“It was 20 penne vodkas, 20 pastas with tomato sauce, 30 chicken parmesans, and 30 house salads with grilled chicken,” the manager told Fox News. “He only gave his first name and said he wanted to remain anonymous.”