Trump's Campaign to Fight Fraud *is* Fraud
The 'Official Election Defense Fund' is nothing but a slush fund
As Donald Trump and the Republican Party continue to push evidence-free claims of voter fraud, and pursue legal action in four states, they’re sending out a barrage of fundraising texts, emails, calls, and social media posts imploring supporters to “join the Election Defense Team” by forking over their money.
This is the pop-up window you get when you go to Trump’s official website:
The Trump team is doing everything they can to beseech their supporters to rally around the idea that this election is being stolen from them—it isn’t—and that it is their duty to help the president fight this grave injustice. That’s all well and good. Actually, it’s not well or good, or honest, or admirable, or any of that, but logically, it follows. However, as it turns out, many of these donations will not go to defending the election or fighting imaginary fraud, but will go to Trump and the RNC’s pockets. In fact, if you read the fine print on Trump’s site, it states that not a single dollar from all donations under $8k will go to the campaign’s recount account. 60% will go to Trump’s “Save America” PAC, and the remaining 40% will go to the RNC. It’s only if a donor breaks a total donation amount of around $8,300 that any remaining money would go into the recount account.
In other words: It’s a slush fund.
And it’s benefits to the party are numerous. The Republican Party knows Trump’s claims of fraud have no basis in reality, but it benefits them to help him push this narrative. It’s another way of raising vast amounts of money, of demonizing the Democrats, and of stirring up Trump’s base. And let’s make something clear, Trump’s base is the Republican base. Are there some factions therein? Sure. But Trump has a 95% approval rating with Republicans. And with rumors already circulating that Trump plans to run again in 2024, even if the GOP wanted to move on from Trumpism to someone more buttoned up (see: Nikki Haley) it’s not going to be so easy. Finally, this whole enterprise sets a precedent for the Republicans to continue to contest elections in the future. Regardless of their success in current legal challenges, they can continue to play the victim and propagandize around the narrative that Democrats steal elections.
Go to Trump’s site right now and this is what you’ll see when you get past the above pop-up:
What an opportunity! You, yes you, strong, virile American patriot that you are, can help the president set a fundraising record, and (and!) also help him fight for the soul of our nation and the sanctity of our elections. For a donation of $500, $1,000, $2,800 or “other,” you can “Join the Election Defense Team.” Just don’t scroll to the bottom of the page where you’re explicitly told that you’re really just giving Trump and the Republican Party your money, and not contributing to election defense at all.
It’s autocratically ironic that a fundraising campaign to fight fraud is, in and of itself, fraudulent.
————
If you dig this, please subscribe. It’s free!
Is anyone else worried that this election fraud nonsense is only being used as a distraction while he gets his ducks in order (DOD, DOJ) to perform an actual coup?? Are there mechanisms in place to prevent that if he has the military in his pocket? It's become very clear his party won't stand in his way...