Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2020 used pre-marked boxes and obscure design in fundraising emails to pluck millions of dollars from unwitting supporters, detonating a “money bomb” that allowed the Republican to compete against Joe Biden in the past months of the race.
The practice, pursued by the campaign and WinRed, a for-profit company, was detailed in an extensive New York Times report on Saturday. It is legal, but Ira Rheingold, executive director of the National Association of Consumer Advocates, told the newspaper that it was “unfair, unethical and inappropriate”.
Another expert quoted by the Times said that this “dark pattern” digital marketing “should be in the textbooks of what you shouldn’t be doing” in politics.
The “money bomb” did not bring victory, as Trump lost the electoral college by 306 votes to 232. He also lost the popular vote by more than 7 million votes.
But, the Times said, “Recurring donations increased Trump’s treasury in September and October, just when his finances were deteriorating. He was then able to use the tens of millions of dollars he raised after the election, under the guise of fighting his unfounded fraud claims, to help cover the repayments he owed. “
Trump further claims that his defeat was caused by major electoral fraud. It was not, as a succession of lawsuits concluded.
After escaping conviction in his second impeachment trial for inciting the January 6 Capitol rebellion, the former president is free to run again. He continues to seek donations, leading to friction with the party he dominates.
The Republican WinRed operation was conceived as a response to ActBlue, an online fundraising platform created by Democrats to attract donations of small dollars.
As the Times reported, repayments to donors are not uncommon and can be made when individuals donate more than the legal limit. The newspaper said that in late 2020, after Trump’s defeat, Biden’s campaign and Democratic bodies made 37,000 online refunds worth $ 5.6 million.
The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee made more than 530,000 refunds, returning $ 64.3 million.
“In fact,” wrote the Times, “the money that Trump finally had to repay amounted to an interest-free loan from involuntary supporters at the most important time in the 2020 race.”
Jason Miller, a Trump spokesman, told the Times: “Our campaign was built by working men and women in America and valuing their investments was central to anything else we did.”
The Times reported that the practice was used for the second round of the Georgia Senate in January and continues to be used by the Republican Party.
It also detailed distressing experiences that affected Trump donors hit by unexpected deductions and consequent problems with banks and credit card companies.
Victor Amelino, a 78-year-old man from California, donated $ 990 in September. It occurred seven times, totaling almost $ 8,000, the Times said.
Calling the Trump campaign and the RNC “bandits”, Amelino told the newspaper: “I am retired. I can’t pay all that money. “