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Donald Trump (74) says of himself that he is a bad loser. That he has not yet admitted electoral defeat to his challenger Joe Biden (78) cannot be explained by that alone. After more than 50 legal defeats, two of them before the Supreme Court, it should now be clear to the Republican president that the election result can no longer be overturned, if he ever believed in it.
When electorates in individual states cast their votes on behalf of the people on Monday, Biden’s entry into the White House will get a little closer. A look at money reveals why Trump is likely to remain stubborn.
“This is perhaps the most important email I have ever sent you,” reads one of many messages the Trump campaign team has been sending to supporters for weeks. It is quickly clear what it is about: “I need YOUR HELP”. With only five dollars, the fight for the legitimacy of the elections, in which there were “enormous irregularities”, could be supported.
More than 200 million raised
It has been clear from November 7 at the latest that Democrat Biden won the election. All states have already certified the results. Trump continues to present himself as a victim of massive fraud and as a legitimate winner without having provided any convincing evidence.
However, few Republicans disagree. In a Washington Post poll of 249 Republicans in the US Congress, only 27 said Biden had won. In a Quinnipiac University poll, 70 percent of Republican voters polled said they did not believe Biden’s victory was legitimate.
Appeals to supporters pull: In the month after the Nov.3 election, Trump and his Republican Party raised more than $ 200 million in donations, according to Trump’s campaign team. The money went to the political organizations “Trump Victory” and “Save America” (Save America). The calls suggest that all donations will go to the legal battle against the election result.
You have to donate more than $ 5,000
Far from it: The Trump camp used only a fraction of the donations for unsuccessful efforts to tilt the election result in Trump’s favor – that is, for lawsuits or recount. According to a list from the FEC, which is responsible for funding the campaign, it was less than $ 10 million as of November 23. A partial vote recount in the state of Wisconsin, in which Trump did not win a vote, cost $ 3 million.
On the official Trump campaign page, the donor learns in fine print that 25 percent of the money goes to the Republican Party and 75 percent to the recently founded organization “Save America.” Only if a donor gives more than $ 5,000, the donation will go to an account specifically earmarked for costs related to contesting the election.
Trump cheated on his small donors, says Brendan Fischer of the Campaign Legal Center of the legal news platform “Law and Crime.” The Campaign Legal Center advocates, among other things, for stricter laws on campaign finance. “Trump’s misleading and misleading claims about a rigged election were great for fundraising, and both Trump and the Republican Party have benefited from the fundraising.” Clearly, Trump and his party are interested in continuing, he says.
Donations can be used as desired
Trump, his White House staff, campaign team, Republican officials, and conservative media advocates – everyone knows it’s a lie that Trump can still win the election, writes Washington Post columnist Paul Waldman. “But it is also the foundation of their business model.”
“Save America” is a special form of political organization for collecting donations, a so-called “PAC Leadership.” Trump could not use the money raised to support his own campaign or pay legal costs, Fischer told CBS broadcaster.
Other than that, he could use the donations however he wants: for example, to support like-minded politicians, from which members of the Trump family could also benefit. You can also use donations to pay for expensive surveys, consultants, travel, or dinners. In an earlier report, the Campaign Legal Center denounced that politicians used organizations as “a ticket to a life of luxury.”
What exactly Trump will spend the money on is a “big open question,” says renowned journalist Maggie Haberman, who reports on Trump and the White House for the New York Times, the NPR radio station. “But it puts him in an unusual and impressive position where he will have a lot of money and where he refuses to let go of his grip on the Republican Party. That will probably make him the most influential former president you can imagine. “(SDA)
