A few times this year, I pointed out the pre-checked donation boxes being used by the National Republican Congressional Committee and how they were guilt-tripping people into donating. “Don’t abandon Trump, you’ll be a traitor and we’ll tell on you.” That sort of thing.
The NRCC is a U.S. government committee that works to elect Republicans to the House of Representatives, but has no official connection to Donald Trump so there’s no guarantee that any donations will go to him.
Trump’s found a way to make that happen by copying their tactics and he’s using the mirror image committee to do it, which is the National Republican Senatorial Committee for electing Republicans to the Senate.
If you attempt to sign up for Trump’s new social media site, the registration process includes a donation section. The fine print says the donations go to the NRSC. I haven’t checked, but I’m guessing there will be some kind of processing fee that’s deducted that Trump will keep.
The reporter didn’t want to pay to join the site and isn’t allowed to anyway as part of her job, so she declines and closes the form. Then the texts started.
“WOW. Don’t ignore Trump’s PERSONAL message, Stephanie. We NEED you to step up to save our nation from Biden’s presidency.”
“Stephanie, don’t make us tell Trump you’re IGNORING his dinner invitation. There’s still time. Enter to win.”
“Why haven’t you taken the Election Year Poll? Are you becoming a Democrat?”
“Stephanie, you STILL didn’t sign Trump’s Christmas card!”
“Stephanie, have you ABANDONED Trump? Fix your reputation.”
“It’s Don Jr.: I told my father he could count on YOUR support to restore his Majority in 2022. Contribute here.”
“It’s Ted Cruz: We are just ONE SEAT away from taking back the GOP Majority.”
“Stephanie, we need 82 more responses from your area — take our election year poll HERE.
“CONGRATS! Stephanie we extended your chance to WIN a set of Melania Trump’s White House ornaments! Enter in the next 15 MIN.”
If I read the article right, the reporter aborted the registration process. But what she entered before was retained instead of being discarded and was put into a mailing list.
The reporter also pointed out a donation was required in order to take a poll, sign Trump’s Christmas card or have a chance at winning Melania’s ornaments. (Supposedly the exact ornaments from the White House.)
That’s an old scam that has many names: Nigerian prince scam, 419 scam, advance-fee scam and others. The difference is instead of the scammer stringing you along so you keep sending additional money, the donations will be automatic every month. That’s not mentioned in the article, but since the NRCC added the pre-checked recurring donation function to their fundraising (up to a frequency of weekly, if you remember) and a double your donation function, the NRSC fundraising probably has those, too.
So to repeat, Donald Trump is working with an established government agency to get donations for his company.
