Trump's campaign lures donors with absurd financial promises -- and insults

[Zorro]

Its fundraising efforts take a bizarre, aggressive tone.

By Ben Adler

One of the professional hazards of being a political journalist is that your email address finds its way onto all sorts of unlikely lists, such as one from President Trump’s reelection campaign. Whereas some campaigns might communicate with supporters for the purpose of grass-roots organizing, the Trump emails I receive have only one purpose: to gin up contributions. And the solicitations are unlike any I’ve ever seen. Tonally, they diverge wildly from those of past presidential campaigns — or from anything that might be termed “presidential” at all.

Instead, they embody Trump’s lifelong habit — borrowed from his career in New York’s notoriously unscrupulous real estate world — of making unethical, comically dishonest pitches. In a simpler time, Republican politicians and conservative talking heads made money by selling their audience to advertisers peddling investment advice, gold or unproven cures for erectile dysfunction. Now, the huckster making dubious promises is the president himself. Trump’s campaign blew through a once-massive fundraising advantage, spending more than $800 million of its $1.1 billion haul before early September. In August, the last month for which data is available, former vice president Joe Biden outraised Trump by $155 million. By late September, Biden had $141 million more in the bank than the president did. Not coincidentally, Trump’s fundraising entreaties are becoming increasingly implausible and desperate.

For proof that Trump thinks his political supporters are a bunch of suckers to swindle, just look at how he gets them to part with their money, alternating between flattery and abuse: You’re one of the president’s finest supporters, you are told, and that’s why you personally have been selected for this opportunity to give him money — except when you’re told that you’ve let him down by not donating enough. The campaign’s apparent hope is that the recipient will crave Trump’s approval and seek it through generosity. Sometimes, the praise and shaming are deployed in concert, as in this July 14 pitch nominally sent by the president himself: “I’ve asked my team to pull the records of my BEST donors - our most loyal Patriots who I can always count on when I need them the most. I’m disappointed to say that when I asked for your file, they told me you showed up in the BOTTOM 1% of all Trump Supporters.”

Trump also frequently deploys a marketing gimmick seemingly borrowed from late-night cable infomercials, in which a bonus or a discount is promised if you open your wallet instantaneously, as he did with this appeal on Aug. 3: “I’ve decided to activate an exclusive 3-Months-Out 700%-MATCH just for YOU. This offer is only available for the NEXT HOUR.” Guilt-tripping and outsize donation matches are used in Trump’s fundraising text messages, too. In September, a Trump email promised that an “exclusive 900%-MATCH is available to you for the next hour, so don’t wait.” Just 44 minutes later, while that match would supposedly still be in effect, an email allegedly from both Trump and Vice President Pence claimed, “We’ve activated a special 800%-MATCH.” This past week, Trump again offered an 800 percent match (for just 30 minutes) when he left Walter Reed hospital.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/trumps-campaign-lures-donors-with-absurd-financial-promises--and-insults/2020/10/09/ff3ea62c-08ef-11eb-9be6-cf25fb429f1a_story.html

[SWBTATTReg]

1. Lies, all lies. When will people ever learn? With trump's historic level of lying and people are

still falling for this serial hustler and scammer? After Biden wins, the biggest thing I'll wait for is a blue ribbon panel, empowered w/ the power of arrest (and whatever else is needed), to dig out the corruption, arrest the culprits, trial and if guilty, jail and/or fine the guilty ones, seek back paybacks of illegally obtained government funds.

[RainCaster]

2. Who gives the matching funds? Putin or Kim?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[lettucebe]

6. No one does. It's just another lie

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. I got at least 10 of them today

What a great chance it is to tell them to *uck off, especially his dopey offspring.

[dweller]

4. BUT WAIT !1! THERES MORE !1!!!!

but no, that's enough 👎🏻

✌🏼

[keithbvadu2]

5. Donald, I'll send you $1,000.

Donald, I'll send you $1,000.

You get the 700% match making $8,000 total. You send me back $3,000 and keep the $5,000. I will verify that you improved my economy and you get $5,000 that you did not have before.

Win/win for both of us.