When word spread online two weeks ago that former President Donald J. Trump was due to attend a $75,000-per-person fundraiser hosted by his super PAC in the Kentucky Derby — in Senator Mitch McConnell’s home state — it was news to executives at Churchill Downs.
Still, for a sporting event that regularly welcomes more than 150,000 people, including many prominent politicians and celebrities, a last-minute entry was nothing to panic about.
“It’s not unusual for a prominent guest to host an event on our site during Derby Day,” said Tonya Abeln, a spokeswoman for Churchill Downs. “But Churchill Downs is not an organizer of that event. We are coordinating as operationally necessary to ensure safe, smooth operations and that it does not disrupt the activity of other guests.”
Saturday’s appearance came at a particularly awkward time in the relationship between Trump and McConnell, the Republican Senate leader, after a four-year marriage of political convenience that imploded as McConnell opposed Trump’s attempts to undo the 2020 election. to make.
Trump, whose strength is derived from his ability to project the image of party kingmaker, seemed to seize the opportunity to beat McConnell on his own turf. On Friday night, at a rally in Ohio, Trump threw his barnyard insult at McConnell, calling him “the old broken crow.†
The two men will not cross paths this weekend, even by accident. McConnell, who often attends the race, will be in Utah to attend a memorial service for Senator Orrin Hatch, a longtime friend, his aides said.
McConnell rarely interacts with critics and often fends off attacks by cunningly embracing the light. Earlier this week, he hosted his annual Derby-themed luncheon for Republican senators in Washington, and he gave away bottles of Old Crow bourbon, a nod to the Trump nickname.
Trump’s Derby guest list was not public, but the hosts are said to include Pam Bondi, the former Florida Attorney General; Richard Grenell, former Acting Director of National Intelligence; Matthew G. Whitaker, the former Acting Attorney General; and Kimberly Guilfoyle, a television personality engaged to Donald Trump Jr.
As this was an election year, several politicians were expected to stomp in the high-profile horse race. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat, held a press conference at the media center Saturday afternoon. Asked about the fundraiser, he said the Derby was “open to all”.
The fundraiser would be held in what Abeln described as a semi-private space, possibly in the Derby’s playground for the rich called Millionaire’s Row, which sits high above the track and includes a maze of exclusive spaces, no more than the 8,000-square-foot area simply called the Mansion.
On Saturdays, Trump periodically came out of a suite and at one point threw money at people. Before the race was held, he was featured on the large video screen. People cheered, people whooped, and there was a short chant of “USA!”
The Secret Service is coordinating with the track’s security team. No outside food is allowed at the event, Abeln said, adding that “everyone attending this event would get the same experience as everyone else at the track.”
Trump has attended the Kentucky Derby in the past, and last year when Medina Spirit tested positive for a banned substance, he joined the national conversation, calling the horse a “junkie” in a statement.