New Jersey Republicans paid up to $250,000 to be exposed to Trump and, ultimately, the coronavirus

• Around 100 Trump supporters paid up to $250,000 to attend a buffet lunch with President Donald Trump at his New Jersey golf club on Thursday.
• Shortly after midnight on Friday, Trump and the first lady announced they had tested positive for the coronavirus.
• New Jersey health officials are working to track down residents who were exposed to Trump and the virus.

Supporters of President Donald Trump paid up to $250,000 to attend a buffet fundraiser at his New Jersey golf club on Thursday, hours before he announced that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, ABC News reported.

About 100 men and women attended the event at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, some telling ABC News that they didn't know he had already been exposed to the coronavirus.

"It was a buffet style, but from what I could tell everyone was wearing masks," Spenser Sembrat, the founder of a travel business, told ABC News. "It was a buffet style, but from what I could tell everyone was wearing masks."

The event was held in an open courtyard at the club. Sembrat, and others at the event, said the tables were six feet apart.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the president "socially distanced, it was an outdoor event and it was deemed safe by a White House operations for him to attend that event," ABC reported.

Some guests, though, spent an additional $50,000 to met Trump inside the clubhouse to pose for a photo.

Campaign officials would not say if the six-foot distance was maintained during that time, ABC News reported.

The New Jersey Department of Health is working with the Somerset County Health Department to try determining potential risk of exposure to attendees and staff of the club, spokeswoman Dawn Thomas told North Jersey.com.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who said he didn't attend the Bedminster event, tested positive for the virus on Saturday.

He had spent time with the president at the White House between Saturday and Tuesday preparing for the September 29 presidential debate. Those who were in the room preparing with Trump were unmasked, Christie previously said.

Trump's counselor Hope Hicks tested positive for the virus on Wednesday.

Several other officials who were with the President this week have also tested positive.