trump has attended a handful of events this spring including gatherings at two washington residences and at a home in virginiasensitive to campaign finance rules barring federal officials from soliciting donations greater than 5400 the white house has been careful to call these events gatherings with supporters not fundraisers although they have a similar effect the event this week felt like a conference with several panels geared toward foreign policy america first messaging and a healthy disdain for the news mediayou guys are genuinely out of touch said ms owens who also serves as a communications director for the conservative group turning point usa after speaking on the media paneli feel like im talking to someone who actually thinks everyone else is an idiot she said to this reporterpanelists including ms owens did not pay to attendbeyond media criticism what lessons could donors expect to gleanit was a question put to mr spicer who was passing out business cards in the lobby and inviting people to his book release party july 24 in between panels his answer proximity to the presidentyou want it to be intimate mr spicer said not a cattle calland besides mr spicer reasoned they paid a ton of money he said using a phrase that contained an expletivedonors in attendance included the oklahoma oilman harold hamm the investor and former ambassador ronald n weiser of michigan and the investors roy w bailey and tom hicks jr of texasmr hamm has donated 1 million to america first action through personal and corporate accounts mr weiser who has donated 200000 said he suspected the event raised a lot of moneyyechezkel moskowitz 31 who attended on behalf of his grandmother a donor said that he felt as if he had gained a better understanding of the policies he should be supporting including the administrations approach to rolling back environmental regulations and its hardline stance on immigrationwe have to give the impression that our laws matter he said i think conservatism is the new counterculturehoping to spread the message the america first groups have been hosting events for donors and prospective donors featuring appearances by mr trump and vice president mike pence and some of america firsts donors said they had heard that the president will headline one such event next week in wisconsin although an america first spokeswoman said no america first events are planned for next week with either mr trump or mr pence the white house did not immediately respond to a request for comment on tuesday eveningin recent weeks fundraisers for the groups began aggressively courting donors ahead of the summit meeting donors were told that in addition to mr trump speakers would include the former governor of arkansas mike huckabee and a host of republican lawmakers including senators ted cruz of texas and steve daines of montana as well as representatives kevin brady of texas liz cheney of wyoming and greg walden of oregonmr brady spoke tuesday on a panel about the great things already