Trump Insists on a Share of Donations From Campaigns Using His Name

By Better Today On Apr 17, 2024

TL/DR –

Former President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has stated that Republican candidates can use his name, image, and likeness in their campaign material if they donate at least 5% of their received donations to Trump’s campaign. The initiative is in an effort to close the financial gap between Trump and his Democratic rival, President Biden. Campaign managers have also tightened control on the use of Trump’s name in campaign materials, prohibiting certain phrases, and have encouraged Republican candidates and committees to donate more than the minimum 5%.

Trump Campaign Sets 5% Fee for Use of Former President’s Name in Fundraising

The former President Donald J. Trump’s campaign has informed Republican vendors through a letter that they can use his name, image, and likeness in campaign materials, providing they remit at least 5 percent of their donations to Trump’s campaign. This effectively introduces a fee for using the Trump brand in political campaigning.

This strategy aims to bridge a substantial fiscal gap between Trump and President Biden. At the end of March, Biden’s campaign and related committees reported $192 million in cash, more than twice the $93 million held by Trump and the Republican Party.

Protecting Small-Dollar Donors

Trump’s campaign spokesperson, Danielle Alvarez, mentioned the need to protect small-dollar donors from scams involving the misuse of the President’s name and likeness. Campaign co-managers, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, outlined in a recent letter that the campaign is tightening control of materials using Trump’s name, banning aggressive language commonly used in donor appeals.

Ensuring Respectful Donor Treatment

The campaign claims that this new messaging approach aims to “treat our donors with the utmost respect”. After Trump’s court appearance, the campaign spread a misleading fundraising message claiming that Trump stormed out of the court, which was not the case. The new guidelines warn that vendors could face penalties if their candidate clients breach the rules.

The letter emphasized that repeated non-compliance would lead to suspension of business relationships with the Trump campaign and national party. It also encouraged Republican candidates to contribute more than the 5% minimum from received donations. The letter stated, “Any split higher than 5% will be seen favorably by the RNC and President Trump’s campaign,” and was initially reported by Politico.