Trump says he canceled weekend trip to Bedminster amid protests ‘to make sure law & order is enforced’

close

Video

Trump pushes 'America First' message at Wisconsin shipyard

Wisconsin Republican Assemblyman John Nygren reacts.

President Trump canceled his weekend trip to Bedminster, N.J. on Friday as the state imposed a mandatory 14-day quarantine for individuals traveling into the region from states seeing a surge in positive cases of COVID-19, but the president said he's staying home in D.C. to monitor protests.

The president was scheduled to leave Washington D.C. for Trump National Gold Club in Bedminster Friday afternoon, but the White House made an announcement that the trip had been canceled.

NY, NJ, CT IMPOSE 14-DAY QUARANTINE FOR OUT-OF-STATE TRAVELERS AMID CORONAVIRUS

The White House did not immediately say exactly why the president’s plans changed. Trump is deemed “essential” and is not subject to the quarantine recommendations. When asked whether the cancellation was related to New Jersey's new travel restrictions, White House spokesman Judd Deere told Fox News, "It has nothing to do with that."

But in a tweet later Friday afternoon, the president said: "I was going to go to Bedminster, New Jersey, this weekend, but wanted to stay in Washington, D.C. to make sure LAW & ORDER is enforced. The arsonists, anarchists, looters, and agitators have been largely stopped."

He added: "I am doing what is necessary to keep our communities safe — and these people will be brought to Justice!"

Earlier this week, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, in conjunction with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, issued a joint-travel advisory requiring individuals traveling into the tri-state area from states experiencing an increase in cases of the novel coronavirus to quarantine for 14-days or face thousands of dollars in fines.

The new order puts restrictions, at this point, on Arizona—where the president delivered a speech on Tuesday— Alabama, Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Texas, Washington and Utah.

Murphy, on Wednesday, however, told CNN that the president would be exempt from the new order.

“There is a carve-out for essential workers, and I think by any definition the president of the United States is an essential worker,” Murphy said.

TRAVEL ASSOCIATION REBUKES NY, NJ, CT 14-DAY QUARANTINE ON OUT-OF-STATE TRAVELERS

According to the three governors, individuals who do not voluntarily quarantine and follow the restrictions would be subject to fines between $2,000 to $10,000.

The criteria for states that have a high infection rate are 10 infections per 100,000 residents on a seven-day rolling average or 10 percent of the state's total population infected on a seven-day rolling average, according to Cuomo.

Fox News' John Roberts and Matt Leach contributed to this report.