Donors must show negative COVID test results to attend Republican National Committee spring retreat

In order to attend the Republican National Committee's spring donor retreat in Florida this week, which will include remarks from former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, guests must first "take a COVID-19 PCR or Rapid Antigen test and receive a negative result," The Washington Examiner reports.

An email sent to wealthy contributors invited to the event states that even those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 must get tested and submit negative test results to the RNC in order to receive their credentials, the Examiner reports. "If you or members in your party fail to fulfill this requirement, you will be denied entry to the 2021 RNC Spring Retreat," the email said. A Republican National Committee official confirmed the email's authenticity.

This is a sharp contrast with Republicans who are publicly speaking out against the idea of a "vaccine passport," which offers verified proof of vaccination. People with that kind of document would likely be able to travel without quarantining and go to concerts and other large events.

Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) prohibited state government agencies from issuing any "standardized documentation for the purpose of certifying an individual's COVID-19 vaccination status to a third party," and on Tuesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed his own executive order banning any government-mandated vaccine passports.

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