Former President Donald Trump’s 2024 election campaign is firing a warning shot at fellow Republicans looking to cash in on Trump’s recent conviction in the New York hush money case.
The blunt message is simple: Back off and stop trying to siphon away potential donors.
“Any Republican elected official, candidate or party committee siphoning money from President Trump’s donors are no better than Judge Merchan’s daughter,” said Chris LaCivita, a senior Trump campaign manager, referring to the daughter of the judge who oversaw Trump’s trial.
“We’re keeping a list, we’ll be checking it twice and we aren’t in the spirit of Christmas,” LaCivita said.
Trump’s team views his guilty verdict as a huge fundraising opportunity, rapidly sending out appeals asking supporters to “Stand with” the ex-president “following this injustice.”
They aim to fill campaign coffers by tapping into outrage over Trump claims of an unjust prosecution — and so far it’s working. Trump’s campaign raised a staggering $34.8 million immediately after his 34 felony convictions.
However, some down-ballot Republicans have been trying to also raise funds off Trump’s legal saga for their own campaigns. The election campaign of Dave Williams, a Trump-endorsed Colorado congressional candidate, sent a message declaring the conviction a “disgrace” while soliciting donations – which get routed solely to Williams’ campaign after the initial Trump-referencing appeal.
It’s a tactic the Trump operation is working to shut down, having repeatedly warned candidates against fundraising piggybacking without permission.
Last year, Trump said he wouldn’t endorse any candidates using vendors that leveraged his name and likeness for fundraising.
More recently, his campaign demanded a 5% cut from any appeals using Trump’s brand.
The former president’s advisers assert they have no issue with candidates and allies sending out Trump-affiliated fundraising pitches – as long as the proceeds get directed fully to Trump’s campaign coffers or are split with the candidate.
Several potential Trump VP picks like Sens. Tim Scott, J.D. Vance, and Rep. Elise Stefanik have shared links sending donors straight to official Trump donation pages in the wake of the conviction news.
For the Trump team, it’s about maintaining full control over the multi-million-dollar fundrasing windfall they expect from the backlash around the hush money case, which supporters believe was politically motivated.
With Biden’s campaign holding a $35 million cash advantage, Trump can’t afford to let other Republicans nibble away at his donor base.
The hardline stance sends a clear message – any attempt at hijacking the former president’s latest legal drama for personal gain will be viewed as nothing short of disloyalty by a campaign insistent on presenting a unified front.