The Trump campaign said they are “surprised” that the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, based in Simi Valley, California, calls on the Republican National Committee and the president’s reelection effort to stop using the image of the former president number 40 in the campaign materials.
“It is a curious situation and we are surprised that they have opposed this and this is something we have been doing with the campaign and the Republican National Committee,” Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the Trump campaign, told Fox News in an interview.
According to Murtaugh, the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., did a book signing at the Foundation in November last year for his book “Activated” in an effort to raise money for the organization.
On Saturday, the Washington Post reported that the Reagan Foundation had demanded that Trump and the Republican National Committee (RNC) cease fundraising for the name and likeness of the 40th president.
According to the report, the foundation had a particular problem with the offer of the Trump 2020 campaign, in exchange for a donation of $ 45, a set of coins that included a piece with the image of Trump and another with that of Reagan, mounted on a photograph with the two men from 1987.
Murtaugh confirmed that account saying “there were some commemorative objects, of course.”
As a result of the story, both President Trump himself and his campaign have struggled with the fact that the president of the Reagan Foundation is Fred Ryan, who is also the editor and CEO of The Washington Post. Trump tweeted as much over the weekend as the story was unveiled.
Murtaugh also echoed those sentiments: “It should come as no surprise that the Washington Post wants to interfere with the president’s reelection campaign.”
According to the Post, the director of marketing for the Reagan Foundation, Melissa Giller, made a phone call with the RNC last week, after which the committee decided to stop using the image of the late president in accordance with the wishes of the foundation. .
Giller added that the Reagan Foundation continues to study the matter, and has yet to decide whether to consider any potential legal remedies. The Foundation and the Presidential Library remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Fox News’ Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
