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In a report by Fox News, the Trump campaign has been discovered to be anonymously purchasing meals for hospital staff and first responders working in areas where the coronavirus has been particularly harsh during the pandemic.
Michigan, New Jersey, Washington state and New York have all reported cases where restaurants are being contacted by President Trump’s re-election committee to supply meals to a local hospital, testing site, or police station.
The donations are helping both the people on the frontlines treating patients suffering from COVID-19, but they are also pumping money and purpose into the local restaurants who are also in need during this time.
Fox News continued reporting on the stories coming in from across the country.
“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,” one source said.
The source told Fox News that the campaign has already spent tens of thousands of dollars on the effort, which they plan to expand in the coming days and weeks.
Fox News confirmed that as part of the donations, an anonymous individual placed a large order at Giovanni’s Italian Deli in Secaucus, N.J., to be delivered to Hudson Regional Hospital.
“They only told us their first name,” an employee of Giovanni’s told Fox News on Thursday. “They called us, and they had us donate meals for the nurses and doctors — an assortment of things, 40 platters of pasta, salads, sandwiches.”
The employee added: “We’re happy to do it. Trust me.”
Sources told Fox News that the campaign also ordered from Nick’s Grill in Kirkland, Wash.; Chit Chat Diner in Morristown, N.J.; Turning Point of Long Branch, N.J.; and Antonio’s Trattoria in the Bronx, N.Y., among others.
The manager of Antonio’s Trattoria, in an interview with Fox News, said that a man called the restaurant Monday to have “100 individual orders” delivered to 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.”
When told that it was a member of the Trump campaign supporting their business and the hospital, the manager said: “That’s awesome. That’s great. That’s really great, thank you.”
CHiT CHaT Diner, a restaurant in New Jersey posted one of their large orders that was made by an anonymous donor on Instagram.
Restaurant employees did not report any solicitation, and even mentioned repeatedly that there weren’t any political motivations behind the donations, the desire seemed to be that they “just wanted to show a thank you”
The Trump campaign reported to Fox News that they will continue to feed the frontlines for as long as the pandemic continues.
