Biden Donor’s Frequent White House Visits Under Scrutiny After Trump Shooting Comments
Visitor logs reveal that Democratic donor Dmitri Mehlhorn, who suggested the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump was staged, has visited the Biden White House at least ten times. Mehlhorn, an advisor to Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman, met frequently with aides to White House chief of staff Jeff Zients and senior adviser Anita Dunn.
Mehlhorn sent a memo to journalists hours after the attack on Trump, urging them to suggest the shooting was a false flag operation. He wrote that the incident might have been “encouraged and maybe even staged so Trump could get the photos and benefit from the backlash.” Mehlhorn further implied that if any Trump officials had knowledge of the attack, it was morally horrific and unfit for a leader.
The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, has been identified as the assailant but his motive remains unclear. Positioned on a building approximately 150 yards from the rally, Crooks fired several rounds, injuring Trump and killing Corey Comperatore, a firefighter.
Mehlhorn’s remarks raise questions about his access to the Biden White House, especially given the administration’s criticism of Republican conspiracy theories. Visitor logs show Mehlhorn and Hoffman met with Katharine Reilly, an aide in the chief of staff’s office, and had three meetings with Jordan Finkelstein, a close aide to Dunn. Mehlhorn also met with officials in the political office, Sabrina Bousbar and Jorge Santiago-Moreno.
While the White House did not comment, Biden’s advisers reportedly see the crisis as an opportunity for Biden to appear presidential and call for unity. Mehlhorn apologized for his comments, stating they were drafted without consulting his team.
Mehlhorn has supported Hoffman in funding several anti-Trump initiatives, including E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit against Trump and Project Birmingham, which aimed to influence Alabama’s 2017 Senate election by creating fake social media accounts to deter Republican voters.
