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Trump will leave the White House with a record raise for an outgoing president and with few legal limits on how he can spend it.
President Donald Trump and the Republican Party have amassed a whopping $ 250 million from loyal supporters since the Nov.3 election.
More than $ 60 million of that goes to a new political action committee (PAC) called Save America, which Trump will control after he leaves office. $ 60 million is about the same as Trump spent to win the 2016 Republican primary.
The large post-election donation gives Trump many options for his post-White House ambitions, such as asserting political status within the party, honoring loyal supporters, paying for travel and awards. hire, hire employees, pay legal bills, and even lay the groundwork for re-election in 2024.
The money also cemented Trump’s position as the top Republican fundraiser, even as he lost his election. “Right now, he’s the ‘soul’ of the Republicans,” said John McLaughlin, a Republican pollster who worked on Trump’s re-election campaign. “The Party knows that almost all the dollars that they raised during the last four years have come from Donald Trump.”
President Trump at a rally in Georgia on December 7. Image: AFP.
Trump and the Republican National Committee spent about $ 15 million in legal and other expenses related to contesting the results of the October 15-November 23 election.
During the promotional campaign, large expenses, such as the purchase of television and digital advertisements, are incurred through a limited liability company called American Made Media Consultants. That allows the Trump election campaign and its joint committee with Republicans to keep many details about their spending, including who is being paid and how much.
More than $ 700 million has been transferred to American Made Media Consultants since early 2019. Lara, Trump’s daughter-in-law and John, the nephew of Vice President Mike Pence, served on the company’s board until he resigned. October 2019.
After the election, the Trump campaign also spent $ 2.2 million on text message advertising related to a recount request through the company.
The $ 250 million raised by Trump and the Republicans in the past six weeks is enough to pay all the remaining campaign bills and ineffective legal challenge efforts, even still. surplus of tens of millions of dollars.
However, it is unclear what Trump’s spending plan will be with this money. Advisers say his refusal to accept Joe Biden’s victory has stalled domestic political planning, and some of the advisers to his trusted group are hesitant to consult him on the need. action roadmap for 2021 and beyond. Trump has hinted at the possibility of re-election in 2024, but he may not do so either.
Some campaign finance experts speculate that Trump may be looking to use the surplus money in his new PAC. to cover future personal legal costs, when you are most likely to face an investigation after leaving office. However, a senior Trump adviser said they did not believe the money was being spent for that purpose.
Meanwhile, Meredith McGehee, executive director of Issue One, a group that advocates for greater political transparency, said Trump “faces very, very, very few restrictions on how he can spend this money.”
In the past five years, Trump has never avoided work. spend hundreds of thousands of dollars raised from advocates for their own companies’ services, an activity that can continue when you leave office.
Since mid-October, the Trump Victory Committee, the Trump campaign’s joint fundraising committee with the Republican National Committee, has paid more than $ 710,000 for the Trump Hotel Collection, while the Trump campaign continues. paying more than 37,000. USD per month rent of premises in Trump Tower.
It is unclear where Trump will be based for his post-White House operation and who will run it. Some advisers suggested that the headquarters could be in Florida, where he planned to move.
As a former president, Trump will receive a certain amount of subsidies to hire employees and offices for life. He’s beginning to discuss which West Wing attendants will continue to accompany him. Bill Stepien, Justin Clark, and Jason Miller may be among these high-level political advisers.
Although Trump’s political path after the White House has not been largely shaped, it has shown he wants to continue influencing national politics, especially within the Republicans.
He endorsed his close ally Ronna McDaniel for another term as chairman of the Republican National Committee. Trump also suggested that an ally challenge Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s position, who offended Trump by rejecting his allegations of voter fraud. Trump even asked his aides how he could maintain control of the party if he was not a candidate.
A person close to Trump said he seems less confident about his 2024 re-election announcement now than he did two weeks ago. That uncertainty is causing concern to some advisers and aides, who may be involved in other campaigns but are “stuck” until Trump makes a decision. Voting for president will force Trump to adhere to stricter rules on political spending and financial reporting.
Trump’s future ambitions also overshadow who will control some of the 2020 campaign’s most valuable assets, including a long list of supporters who have donated hundreds of millions of dollars to him. . Both the Republican National Committee and Trump have the right to “enjoy” some of this valuable voter data.
“Despite losing his election, Trump is likely to play a key role in the Republican future,” said Whit Ayres, the Republican pollster. “It’s hard to imagine him being like George W. Bush, Barack Obama or other former presidents, less expressive and not trying to interfere with the way the new president runs the country.”
Phuong Vu (According to the The Times of New York City)
