Even If He Loses, Trump is Going to Make Money Off His Donors

During the 2016 campaign, Trump boasted that he was funding his entire campaign himself.  Whether or not that's actually true (he never disclosed his tax returns)-- it's completely the opposite this time around.  Not only has Trump not given a dime to his reelection campaign, he's funding the entire effort from donor's money.  And to make matters worse, Trump is now siphoning off donor contributions to his private coffers.

Like he has done to taxpayers over the last several years, Trump is charging his re-election  campaign for things like food, lodging and rent. The result is that $2.2 million of contributions from other people has turned into $2.2 million of revenue for Trump.

Trump's campaign is a reliable tenant in Trump Tower, spending about $38,000 on rent per month. More than three years after Trump became president, those payments now total $1.5 million.  The campaign spent at least another $187,000 renting space from other Trump entities in New York City.

Down the street from the White House, at the Trump International Hotel, the president’s campaign, joint fundraising committees and political party have spent at least $900,000. Across the country, some $16,000 of campaign money flowed into its sister hotel in Las Vegas. An additional $1.7 million went to the president’s New York-based hotel empire, according to a review of Federal Election Commission filings. In all, that adds up to $2.6 million for Trump’s hotels, not counting the money that has gone to his Miami golf resort.   The campaign paid Trump companies for legal consulting, IT expenses, airfare, even office supplies.

And that’s just counting the money flowing directly through the president’s campaign. His reelection apparatus also includes two joint fundraising committees, which work with the Republican Party to raise money for Trump. Since he took office, those entities—named Trump Victory and the Trump Make America Great Again Committee—have funneled another $2.3 million into the president’s private business. 

Then there’s the Republican National Committee, which has spent an additional $2.4 million at Trump properties. Add it all up, and the president, working in concert with the party he leads, has helped push $6.9 million into his businesses since taking office.