Skip to content Open Menu Open Search Bar Latest Homepage Were Guests at Trump’s White House Event Paid and Required to Sign NDAs? My Account Log Out Log In Subscribe Go to my account Join The Dispatch Topics * Culture * Economics * Policy * Politics * Law * Religion * World Events Newsletters * Boiling Frogs * Capitolism * The Collision * Dispatch Faith * Dispatch Politics * Dispatch Weekly * The G-File * The Morning Dispatch * Stirewalt on Politics * Techne * Wanderland Other * Fact Check * Explainers * Mailbag Events * Dispatch Live * The Dispatch Summit 2024 * Member Experiences Our Authors View All * ![\\"Avatar](\\" Jonah Goldberg The Ugly Logic Behind Trump’s Apocalyptic Rhetoric * ![\\"Avatar](\\" Sarah Isgur No SCOTUS Term Is Like Any Other * ![\\"Avatar](\\" Chris Stirewalt The Chameleon and the Caterpillar * ![\\"Avatar](\\" Kevin D. Williamson Hooray for Price-Gouging, Boo for Monopoly Podcasts * ![\\"Advisory](\\" Advisory Opinions Indicting Eric Adams * ![\\"The](\\" The Dispatch Podcast The Highest Calling * ![\\"The](\\" The Remnant Pope Fiction * ![\\"The](\\" The Skiff Video: Veep Contenders Face Off More * Join The Dispatch * Gift Memberships * The Store Close Menu My Account Log Out Log In Subscribe Open Search Latest Podcasts Newsletters Close Search Topics * Culture * Economics * Policy * Politics * Law * Religion * World Events Newsletters * Boiling Frogs * Capitolism * The Collision * Dispatch Faith * Dispatch Politics * Dispatch Weekly * The G-File * The Morning Dispatch * Stirewalt on Politics * Techne * Wanderland Other * Fact Check * Explainers * Mailbag Events * Dispatch Live * The Dispatch Summit 2024 * Member Experiences More * Join The Dispatch * Gift Memberships * The Store Podcasts * ![\\"Advisory](\\" Advisory Opinions Indicting Eric Adams * ![\\"The](\\" The Dispatch Podcast The Highest Calling * ![\\"The](\\" The Remnant Pope Fiction * ![\\"The](\\" The Skiff Video: Veep Contenders Face Off Our Authors View All * ![\\"Avatar](\\" Jonah Goldberg The Ugly Logic Behind Trump’s Apocalyptic Rhetoric * ![\\"Avatar](\\" Sarah Isgur No SCOTUS Term Is Like Any Other * ![\\"Avatar](\\" Chris Stirewalt The Chameleon and the Caterpillar * ![\\"Avatar](\\" Kevin D. Williamson Hooray for Price-Gouging, Boo for Monopoly * Politics * Policy * World Events * Religion * Culture * Economics * Law * Newsletters * Podcasts * Explainers * Upgrade * Join Fact Check # Were Guests at Trump’s White House Event Paid and Required to Sign NDAs? No, though some had their travel expenses covered by a private organization. ![\\"\\"](\\" content/uploads/2022/10/633e1d44596cd-z8dNfb.jpeg?w=900\\"/) By Khaya Himmelman Published October 14, 2020 Scroll to the comments section Share * Facebook (Meta) * Twitter (X) * LinkedIn * Threads * Email * Copy President Trump held his first in-person event since his COVID diagnosis at the White House last Saturday—almost a week after returning from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He addressed hundreds of guests on the South Lawn, which according to the Trump administration and military officials, was an official White House event referred to as a “Peaceful Protest for Law and Order.” A viral Facebook post claims that attendees of this event were paid and asked to sign non-disclosure agreements: “ABC News has confirmed that attendees to Trump WH Rally were paid. $150.ea and had to sign an NDA.” Many of the attendees also participated in a “BLEXIT Back the Blue” event that took place, according to the ABC News story, “on the Ellipse between the White House and the Washington Monument,” and then later participants heard the president speak on the South Lawn. The BLEXIT Foundation, which describes itself as aiming “to uplift and empower minorities to realize the American Dream,” is an organization founded in 2018 by Candance Owens and Brandon Tatum that seeks to get black voters to join the Republican party. Owens has described the Democratic party as the “Democratic Plantation.” ABC News also reported that “Some guests … had their travel and lodging paid for” by Owens’ group. There is no mention of a $150 stipend or non-disclosure agreements. Owens promoted a BLEXIT event in an Instagram post last week, describing the event as “a massive demonstration against the media narrative.” She also adds in her caption that they will be “giving away a limited amount of travel stipends …” Owens later tweeted the following on October 10: > Um… yes. We had a small group of attendees who asked for financial help to > make the event so we secured travel stipends for them. > > Mocking people who are struggling financially is the weirdest, most elitist, > Democrat flex— possibly ever. > > — Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) October 10, 2020 A spokesman for the White House, Judd Deere, told ABC that the White House was “not involved in covering any cost.” ABC noted that they were unsure how many of the attendees had transportation and lodging costs covered by BLEXIT. While it is true that some attendees received travel stipends, it is incorrect to say that all attendees were paid to be there, and ABC News did not report that guests had to sign a non-disclosure agreement. If you have a claim you would like to see us fact check, please send us an email at factcheck@thedispatch.com. If you would like to suggest a correction to this piece or any other Dispatch article, please email corrections@thedispatch.com. This fact check is available at IFCN’s 2020 U.S. Elections FactChat #Chatbot on WhatsApp. Click here for more. Photograph by Samuel Corum/Getty Images. ![\\"Khaya](\\" himmelman-96x96.jpeg\\"/) ### Khaya Himmelman Khaya Himmelman is a fact checker for The Dispatch. She is a graduate of Columbia Journalism School and Barnard College. Please note that we at The Dispatch hold ourselves, our work, and our commenters to a higher standard than other places on the internet. We welcome comments that foster genuine debate or discussion—including comments critical of us or our work—but responses that include ad hominem attacks on fellow Dispatch members or are intended to stoke fear and anger may be moderated. ## Related Content ![\\"Featured](\\" content/uploads/2024/10/GettyImages-186366114.jpg?w=600\\"/) Policy October 2, 2024 #### What the Birth Dearth Means for Public Schools By Aaron Garth Smith and Jude Schwalbach ![\\"Featured](\\" content/uploads/2024/10/GettyImages-2175888508.jpg?w=600\\"/) Policy October 2, 2024 #### Hooray for Price-Gouging, Boo for Monopoly By Kevin D. Williamson ![\\"Featured](\\" content/uploads/2024/10/GettyImages-2174358045.jpg?w=600\\"/) Politics October 2, 2024 #### The Ugly Logic Behind Trump’s Apocalyptic Rhetoric By Jonah Goldberg ## The Latest ![\\"Featured](\\" content/uploads/2024/10/gettyimages-2175285978.jpg?w=600\\"/) The Morning Dispatch October 2, 2024 ### Iran Launches Ballistic Missile Attack at Israel By Mary Trimble, Grayson Logue, and James P. Sutton ![\\"Featured](\\" SITE-THUMB.png?w=600\\"/) The Remnant October 2, 2024 ### Pope Fiction By Jonah Goldberg ![\\"Featured](\\" content/uploads/2024/10/GettyImages-186366114.jpg?w=600\\"/) Policy October 2, 2024 ### What the Birth Dearth Means for Public Schools By Aaron Garth Smith and Jude Schwalbach ![\\"Featured](\\" content/uploads/2024/10/GettyImages-2175888508.jpg?w=600\\"/) Policy October 2, 2024 ### Hooray for Price-Gouging, Boo for Monopoly By Kevin D. Williamson Homepage * About * About * Careers * Contact Us * FAQs * Staff * Submissions * Newsletters * Boiling Frogs * Capitolism * The Collision * Dispatch Faith * Dispatch Politics * Dispatch Weekly * The G-File * The Morning Dispatch * Stirewalt on Politics * Techne * Wanderland * Podcasts * Advisory Opinions * The Dispatch Podcast * The Remnant * The Skiff * Subscription * Join The Dispatch * My Account * Gift The Dispatch * Follow Us * * Opens in new window to The Dispatch\'s Facebook * Opens in new window to The Dispatch\'s LinkedIn * Opens in new window to The Dispatch\'s Twitter * Opens in new window to The Dispatch\'s Threads * Opens in new window to The Dispatch\'s YouTube * About * About * Careers * Contact Us * FAQs * Staff * Submissions * Newsletters * Boiling Frogs * Capitolism * The Collision * Dispatch Faith * Dispatch Politics * Dispatch Weekly * The G-File * The Morning Dispatch * Stirewalt on Politics * Techne * Wanderland * Podcasts * Advisory Opinions * The Dispatch Podcast * The Remnant * The Skiff * Subscription * Join The Dispatch * My Account * Gift The Dispatch Socials * Opens in new window to The Dispatch\'s Facebook * Opens in new window to The Dispatch\'s LinkedIn * Opens in new window to The Dispatch\'s Twitter * Opens in new window to The Dispatch\'s Threads * Opens in new window to The Dispatch\'s YouTube * © 2024 The Dispatch * Privacy Policy * Terms & Conditions ![\\"\\"](\\" ![](\\" guests-at-trumps-white- house%2F&tw_iframe_status=0&txn_id=o398l&type=javascript&version=2.3.30\\")![](\\" guests-at-trumps-white- house%2F&tw_iframe_status=0&txn_id=o398l&type=javascript&version=2.3.30\\")
ABC News confirmed that guests at a White House event were paid 150 and had to sign NDAs