Former President Trump will visit Aspen next week for a fundraiser, a private event that has activated local law enforcement and likely will affect local traffic patterns.
A fundraising dinner will be held for the GOP’s presidential nominee at an undisclosed location on Saturday, Aug. 10, according to an invitation to the event obtained by the Aspen Daily News. The precise location of the event was not disclosed.
The threshold for attendance at the event is $25,000 per couple, donated or raised. The next level, “co-hosts,” includes a photo opportunity and VIP seating for two, provided for $100,000, donated or raised. The highest level, “host committee,” offers a roundtable, photo opportunity and VIP seating for two at $500,000, donated or raised. No public appearances are scheduled in the area, according to the campaign’s events schedule.
Betty Wallach, chair of the Pitkin County Democrats, said she is aware of Trump’s visit but neither she nor the local party are planning any sort of demonstration. Nor would they join one if it were to arise, she added.
The Pitkin County Republican Party did not return multiple requests for comment. The Trump campaign did not return a request for comment via email.
Pitkin County Undersheriff Alex Burchetta said the U.S. Secret Service contacted the sheriff’s office late last week, informing them of a visit. He declined to confirm that the “individual” was in fact Trump, but confirmed VIP event coordination.
The notice from the Secret Service activated the multijurisdictional Pitkin County Incident Management Team to provide law and EMS support. Burchetta said the team is planning to implement rolling, intermittent intersection closures depending on the “individual’s” movement.
“Our goal is to minimize the impact on our local community and to ensure that everyone is safe during the visit,” he said. “That may include temporary road closures, but we have a lot of experience doing this and we’ve developed a plan that allows us to temporarily shut down intersections on a rolling basis.”
Specific information on scope of impact within Aspen or the Roaring Fork Valley is not yet available, Burchetta said, but law enforcement will communicate the anticipated impacts as soon as they can while maintaining security.
As of Thursday, there were no known planned protests or demonstrations. Burchetta said there is an established protocol in planning for such events and that peaceful demonstrations are welcome.
“We will make areas available for individuals to protest or demonstrate if they so choose and expect those protests or demonstrations to be peaceful,” he said. “We have a plan to address protests or demonstrations that are not peaceful, but we are confident that our community will express their right to free speech in a peaceful manner.”
The incident management team has worked with the Secret Service on major visits and special events for the past 11 years. Compared with past years, Burchetta said that the content and nature of sheriff’s office conversations and coordination with the Secret Service has not changed following the assassination attempt on Trump at a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. If anyone witnesses suspicious behavior, Burchetta encourages them to contact local law enforcement.
