The Trump administration is facing criticism for an event held on the White House South Lawn for the Republican National Convention this week. But rather than being worried about the political and legal ramifications of the event, President Donald Trump is reportedly relishing in the fact that he was able to hold the rally and that there was nothing that anyone could do about it.
Aides familiar with the situation spoke with the New York Times anonymously so that the could discuss internal conversations. They told the news outlet that Trump was happy about the way the rally came together, despite the backlash.
“Mr. Trump’s aides said he enjoyed the frustration and anger he caused by holding a political event on the South Lawn of the White House, shattering conventional norms and raising questions about ethics law violations. He relished the fact that no one could do anything to stop him,” the Times wrote.
The convention, which was also criticized for its lack of facial coverings and social distancing, was assembled by Tony Sayegh, an adviser to Trump, Max Miller, a deputy campaign manager, and Justin Caporale, the director of advanced operations. It featured fireworks and a speech by Trump on the lawn of the White House.
The insiders said that Trump plans to continue in-person events with an aggressive campaign schedule despite the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic and that the rally made him happy after being down about his lagging popularity.
“The travel follows a Republican convention that was hastily assembled but resulted in the kind of visuals the president likes, aides said, describing it as one of the few times in recent weeks he has been upbeat about an election he fears he is losing,” the outlet reported.
Critics say that the RNC could have violated the Hatch Act, which is a law that prohibits federal workers from engaging in political activities while acting in their official capacity for the government. The president himself is exempt from the law.
In order to hold the RNC, some argue that it was likely that federal workers were needed, which means that they were likely in violation of the act. However, the president is thought to be the only one who could fire someone for violating the statute, which is unlikely to happen and has only rarely occurred in the past.
The Trump administration has faced numerous accusations of violations, including multiple instances by Kellyanne Conway that prompted some to call for her termination.
