Bannon, the former CEO for the Trump campaign and erstwhile presidential advisor, is scheduled to speak on Friday at the the Hillsborough County Republican Party’s dinner in Tampa Bay, Florida. The event is a fundraiser, although, as the Tampa Bay Times reports, it won’t be raising much money from attendees.
The dinner originally hoped to raise money by charging $20,000 per seat for ten guests to sit at Bannon’s table. There were further VIP tickets going for $1000 a piece. General admission for the event was set at $125.
Ticket prices were dramatically cut last week, when you could pay $5,000 for proximity to Bannon, $300 for a VIP seat, and $50 for general admission. The bargain prices were offered, according to a Facebook post, because “We want to pack the house!!!”
On Monday, an email went out saying the entire event would be free. “The Trump Anniversary Dinner with Steve Bannon this Friday will be COMPLEMENTARY TO ALL,” one of the organizer of the event wrote in a mass email. “We have a donor who will cover our expenses.”
If this trajectory continues, it’s entirely possible that by Friday, Tampa Bay Republicans will be dragging people from the street and offering them money to attend the event.
On Tuesday, Bannon gave a speech at Staten Island and screened his movie Trump at War. According to The New York Daily News, 38 people attended the event.