In Bedminster, Trump spoke to attendees at length and without a mask, posed for photos, and held a VIP meeting with a smaller group indoors, again unmasked. In Shorewood, after the president left the event, attendees sang karaoke and put their arms around each other, also without masks. It took until late on Friday morning for the Bedminster organizers to follow up with attendees about Trump’s test result — and even then, they did not encourage them to immediately get tested or quarantine themselves. Multiple attendees who spoke with BuzzFeed News said they trusted the president and his campaign and were confident they would not disregard their safety.

Trump landed at Bedminster at 2:33 p.m. on Thursday, several hours before confirming on Fox News that Hicks, who had traveled with him on Air Force One en route to a rally in Duluth, Minnesota, on Wednesday, had tested positive for the coronavirus.