By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
With Trump seemingly getting all the RNC cash, why would anyone in their right mind give to the Republican Party this year?
The Advocate's team has a lot of thoughts on a lot of things. Each week we share some insight into some news. Below, you'll find an edited version of a conversation from the team about this week's subject: Donald Trump and the people who donate to his campaign or buy his products.
Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.
John Casey: Well, hello team! I thought we should discuss former President Donald Trump and money this week. Not about how much he owes, i.e. bonds and attorneys’ fees, but rather how much he takes…and takes…and takes. And how all that taking is taking away from all the money it will take to finance Republican candidates’ campaigns this year.
This week we learned that Trump and the Republicans said they raised a little over $65 million last month. The Democrats and President Joe Biden, by contrast, raised $90 million in March. They also have a whopping $192 million cash on hand. That’s more than double what the GOP and Trump have, and that spells danger, particularly when those funds are going to be sucked up by the money vacuum that is Trump.
Which makes what happened this weekend flabbergasting: Trump held a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago (where else) on Saturday night, with his billionaire buddies, and bagged $50.5 million. I’m sure his acolytes realized that they weren't actually giving to Trump’s campaign.
Trump and his cronies, which include his daughter-in-law, now control the Republican National Committee. Last month, they said that a share of the donations to the party would go toward paying Trump’s legal bills. By now, we all know that the word “share” is not in Trump’s vocabulary. So one can assume he means most or all donations will go to him.
Knowing this, why would anyone in their right mind give to the Republican Party this year? That $50.5 million over the weekend went right under Trump’s mattress and will be used to help the self-proclaimed billionaire pay his legal bills and bail bonds.
I’ll start there. You might also want to consider — and the answer is obvious — why someone would buy his gold sneakers or sacrilegious Bible or anything else he’s selling. When it comes to money and donations, Trump is like a vacuum. Just ask those who donated to his now-defunct foundation or blindly gave him tuition fees to the also-defunct Trump University.
Take it away!
Ryan Adamczeski: You nearly said it yourself, John. People aren’t donating to the Republican Party — they’re donating to Trump, and they’re aware of that. So not only is he draining their resources now, but it makes me think about the election after 2024 (if we get one).
Trump is mortal, despite what some conspiracy theories may tell you. He’s not going to live forever, and he can’t run forever. What happens to the Republican Party once he’s gone? They don’t have anyone else to rally behind. We all saw how poorly DeSantis, Haley, and Ramaswamy did in the primaries. No one else has the charisma Trump has to pull in donations. The party is going to die without him — and he’s bleeding them dry before he goes.
JC: As you know I adore you Ryan, but to me, charisma is a positive word. Perhaps labeling Trump as fraud or embezzler are better words? Or perhaps you might want to consider beguiler, cheat, cheater, deceiver, slicker, trickster? Ok, I’ll stop there.
But I think you're right. Republicans are so short-sighted about Trump, putting all their eggs in one basket, or all their money in one collection plate for someone who's creeping up on 80 and who not only lost in 2020, but has been bringing down the party ever since. No foresight here.
The other thing I’m curious about is that Trump is essentially trying to raise money on his grievances, and his ludicrous claims that he’s a victim? It’s almost like donating to a charity, albeit a crooked one.
Trudy Ring: I agree, no one in their right mind would donate to Trump or the party, but I don’t think his supporters are in their right mind. Or at least, they are greedy, hateful, or both. And there are those who buy into his claims that he’s being persecuted by being prosecuted or that he alone can save the country — I’m not sure from what. I hope people are waking up to the fact that he’s taken the party in an untenable direction. And I agree, Ryan, the Republican Party has become so much a cult of Trump that it will likely die without him.
JC: Trudy, you left out your favorite word to describe his donors, deplorables.
Christopher Wiggins: I don’t know about you all, but my alma mater is pretty good at getting people to donate. In fact, just this week was “Giving Day” where alumni are encouraged to give money to various programs that support students. People support the programs that they have a connection to. Some give to academic programs. Others give to support scholarships in the name of notable faculty. I understand this kind of financial support.
When you have a personal connection to an institution that has done something for you, it makes sense to want to invest in its continued future. But what does anybody get from Trump? Nothing, right? I’m not sure that anybody has ever gotten anything substantial from Donald Trump because he doesn’t do anything for other people. Everything he does is for himself, and somehow, he has convinced people who don’t have much money to give in the first place – the same people who refuse to see that the economy is better under Biden now than under Trump four years ago.
They dig through their couch cushions to come up with some cash for the man. Just the other day, Lara Trump asked supporters to save up and donate $5. And what cause will that last $5 go to? Not a cause, but a deceptive person, Trump. And that’s it, isn’t it?
"Because Trump" is the only reason I can come up with that folks will spend their hard-earned money on somebody like him. There’s no logical reason except because Trump.
JC: Every time I see an 814 area code pop-up, I know it’s my alma mater calling me. At some point, I’m going to pick up and say, I’m a journalist, I don’t make much money, but I will send you my last $5 if you need it so bad.
I think I was mistaken earlier by referring to him as a crooked charity. He’s more like a charlatan evangelist, now with his own Bible. He’s a televangelist, claiming I will save you, so long as you send money to help me save all my finery, i.e. Trump Tower and my 30,000 square foot luxury apartment.
It infuriates me that someone would send their last $5 to a self-proclaimed billionaire? I. Just. Don’t. Get. It!
Views expressed in The Advocate’s opinion articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the views of The Advocate or our parent company, equalpride.
