Charlottesville Comments Blowback: Trump's Business To Take Direct Hit From Cancelled Fundraisers

So far President Donald Trump has got away with his often outrageous comments and tweets. But Charlottesville may be different, and his own businesses could now start to feel the heat from the blowback.

On Tuesday, Trump blamed "both sides" for the violence after white nationalists took to the streets against Charlottesville's decision to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The usual uproar followed, CEOs left Trump's panels, and headlines chastised Trump. But then something more happened.

On Thursday, three philanthropic organizations — The Cleveland Clinic, the American Cancer Society, and the American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA) — decided to pull their fundraising events at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, according to multiple reports. The cancellations, which are likely to reduce revenue for the private club, is probably the first time Trump's actions and comments as president have come back to hurt his own businesses.

The Florida mansion has been a venue for such gala events in the past and has earned revenues between $100,000 and $275,000 from such events, Chicago Tribune reported. The president calls the club "Winter White House."

The mansion with lavish interiors can hold a large crowd of about 700 attendees. Each guest suite is "exquisitely appointed in keeping with the original character of this lavish estate while assuring the luxury of modern day world-class amenities," according to its official website.

Around 21 charities held events at the mansion between November and April during the active social season, ABC News reported, citing Palm Beach town records.

The American Cancer Society has been one of the high-profile clients at the Mar-a-Lago Club since 2009. Referring to the decision to pull out its fundraising gala from the club, the organization cited its "values and commitment to diversity" in a statement, according to several reports.

The Cleveland Clinic, one of the nation's leading medical centers, also decided against holding its winter event in the club. Earlier, it had said it planned to continue the business with the club, reports said.

AFMDA, which is Israel’s national ambulance, blood-services, and disaster-relief organization, also said that it had decided not to hold its 2018 gala at Mar-a-Lago "after considerable deliberation." The charity held a huge event at the club last season with about 600 people attending, reports said.

In January, the American Red Cross's annual fundraiser at the club had seen a rally by protesters. The charity organization held the event to help people affected by Trump's U.S. refugee program, ABC News reported. However, the organization did not respond to questions about whether it would hold its next fundraiser at the club.

Meanwhile, several charities have said they would continue to hold their fundraisers at the "Winter White House." Kravis Center would hold its annual wine auction at the Mar-a-Lago, a report said. "The event has been held there for a number of years, and the folks supporting it want to continue to have it there," spokesman Gary Schweikhart said.

The Palm Beach Police Foundation also said it would hold its annual ball at the president's mansion because it was not a political event and no other venue would accommodate as many as 700 guests.