In the wake of his felony conviction, Donald Trump’s campaign announced they’d broken their own fundraising record, gathering a significant $34.8 million (£35.4 million) post-verdict. Despite his legal predicaments, the ex-US president continue to demonstrate his capacity to monetise such tribulations in support of his political aspirations.
The New York jury found Trump guilty of all 34 charges brought against him in his case relating to cover-up payments, leading to an unprecedented occurrence in US presidential politics. At a press conference held at Trump’s New York residence, Trump Tower, on the succeeding Friday, the impact of the ruling on fundraising was celebrated.
Trump said, “It’s fantastic. Last night…collecting from small-scale donors – donations equalling $21, $42, $53, $38 – we accumulated a historic $39 million over a mere 10 hours period.”
Within moments of the guilty verdict being delivered, Trump’s campaign seized the opportunity to raise funds, labelling the former president as a “political prisoner” on their website.
The page featured a message from Trump himself. It read, “The outcome of my political witch hunt of a trial was pre-determined. I am innocent.”
President Joe Biden, meanwhile, reproached his predecessor and his allies for their assault on the US judicial system.
“Donald Trump was given ample chance to argue his case, reasserting the American belief that no one is exempt from the law,” President Biden declared during his address from the White House on the following Friday afternoon.
Biden added, “Asserting the trial’s outcome was manipulated, simply because they don’t agree with the verdict, is foolhardy, perilous and irresponsible.”
The Trump campaign disclosed that the almost $35 million raised nearly doubled their highest single-day collection on the WinRed donation platform, which was temporarily overwhelmed and crashed after the verdict announcement.
In anticipation of the forthcoming November elections, and in a bid to diminish Biden’s financial advantage, the Trump campaign has intensified their fundraising efforts, with agendas including meeting oil tycoons in Texas and a scheduled trip to Silicon Valley in June.
In the aftermath of the court verdict which determined the previous president guilty of conspiring to silence adult actress Stormy Daniels just ahead of the 2016 elections and manipulating business records, the Republican Party and its donors swiftly celebrated their financial successes. Jason Thielman, the head of Republican Senate’s official campaign division, celebrated their biggest single-day online fund collection for the impending 2024 elections. Thielman expressed on X that this disparaging verdict against Trump sparked a reaction from average citizens.
During the previous year, the ex-president capitalised on his four charges to enhance his fundraising capabilities. This involved marketing t-shirts adorned with his mug-shot, leading to a rise in contributions each time. Despite this, pro-Trump political entities have depleted nearly $80 million of donor funds on his legal expenses, which drastically reduces their election finances compared to pro-Biden groups.
The former president remains on the receiving end of a civil fraud ruling that puts his New York businesses at risk and three separate criminal trials. This includes allegations from the Department of Justice’s special counsel of his involvement in a plot to overturn the 2020 elections.
Expressing his dismay over his ‘fraud’ conviction, Donald Trump has portrayed himself as a victim. While the campaign emphasised on the surge in contributions from ordinary citizens post Thursday’s verdict, several affluent donors too pledged their support once the case concluded.
Shaun Maguire, a venture capitalist with Sequoia, confirmed his $300,000 donation to Trump’s campaign following the verdict, stating on X that this timing was no coincidence. Lee Zeldin, a New York Republican and ex-US congressman, also announced a $800,000 donation for Trump after the judgement on X, saying it was effortless to get such a sizeable commitment.