Donald Trump has not put his money where his nonstop mouth is.
Despite his insistence that the 2020 election was stolen from him (it wasn’t), Trump has not used any of the $75 million dollars his PAC has raised “to help finance the ongoing ballot review in Arizona or to push for similar endeavors in other states,” according to The Washington Post. Instead, he’s allowed other entities to pay for the doomed-to-fail initiatives, including small money donors. Trump has mostly saved his fundraising haul, although some cash have been used on travel, legal costs, and staff requirements.
“The tactic allows Trump to build up a war chest to use in the 2022 midterms on behalf of candidates he favors — and to stockpile cash for another potential White House run, an unprecedented maneuver for a former president,” reports The Post.
Trump has fundraised off his election lies – a recent Facebook ad reads “We need you to join the fight to SECURE OUR ELECTIONS!” – and the money pouring in makes him a formidable political presence capable of holding expensive rallies to fire up supporters and dispense endorsements. The money also finances his lifestyle.
“That is probably the most lucrative thing he’s had in terms of cash flow since the Plaza casino in Atlantic City,” said Tim O’Brien, a Trump biographer and frequent critic, to The Post. “This is just as lucrative. He has recognized because of what happened after the election — he can make money as a candidate.”
While Trump amasses his war chest, third parties have funded the Arizona ballot audit, including organizations started by a OAN reporter and Patrick Byrne, the conspiracy theory monger who was once Overstock.com’s CEO.
The Post reports that “a Trump adviser said he had not ruled out spending money on ballot review efforts in states such as Arizona and Georgia “at some point down the road.””
