Trump is now demanding that Republican candidates and committees that use his name and likeness for fundraising give him at least a 5% cut of the proceeds.
“Beginning tomorrow, we ask that all candidates and committees who choose to use President Trump’s name, image, and likeness split a minimum of 5% of all fundraising solicitations to Trump National Committee JFC. This includes but is not limited to sending to the house file, prospecting vendors, and advertising,” Trump co-campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita wrote in the letter, which is dated April 15.
They add: “Any split that is higher than 5% will be seen favorably by the RNC and President Trump’s campaign and is routinely reported to the highest levels of leadership within both organizations.”
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Corporate media has been dancing around the issue, but let’s call the scheme what it is.
Trump views the Republican Party as a criminal operation that he is at the top of, and like all criminal gangs the person at the top gets a cut of the action.
The ex-president isn’t asking for his cut to go toward supporting other candidates. Trump wants the money to go to the joint fundraising agreement that he is using to direct a majority of the money to his super PAC to pay his legal bills.
Donald Trump is trying to get other Republicans to pay for his lawyers.
The former president has been trying to come up with a way to make Republicans pay for using his name and likeness in fundraising for years.
It would not be surprising if Trump tried to sue people who wouldn’t pay
Trump’s latest move is proof that the GOP is not a political party anymore. It is a gift, and Donald Trump wants his piece of the action.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
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Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association