Former President Donald Trump hasn't yet announced whether he'll be running for President in 2024, but his and the GOP's fundraising messages are active as ever. In fact, they're downright incessant, and they often exploit the loyalty of Trump's supporters.
One email last year from the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) warned that if donors unchecked a recurring donation box, they would "have to tell Trump you're a DEFECTOR & sided with the Dems." Another email in June of last year blasted recipients, saying "We’ve emailed you 13x. Fail to respond=Trump knows you’ve abandoned him."
Now, a report from Lachlan Markay and Jonathan Swan of Axios notes that GOP strategists are concerned that Trump's political action committee, Save America, and its daily barrage of fundraising emails is kneecapping conservative fundraising efforts.
The report says:
"The former president's decision to bombard donors with numerous daily emails and texts is sucking up record sums. Four top GOP digital strategists tell Axios it's also imperiling efforts to build a sustainable, grassroots base of financial support for anyone not named Trump."
Even ahead of the 2022 midterms, which Republicans hope will redeliver them a majority in the House and Senate, Trump's two political action committees—Save America and the Trump Make America Great Again Committee—have outraised both the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee on GOP fundraising donation processor, WinRed.
Trump's political action committees have sent more than 14 emails a day since the start of 2022, each with an increasingly unhinged and urgent tone.
One strategist lamented:
"Conservative donors are getting six, 12, maybe even two dozen fundraising emails or text messages every single day. And the chances of them opening yours, let alone reading, clicking and donating, is pretty small to begin with. If you include Trump in that, ... your competition for the inboxes of donors just goes through the roof. It's just it makes it so much more difficult to convert any of these people."
Trump's critics aren't sympathetic.
Aww, the creature they nurtured is turning out to be a monster. Who knew? https://t.co/EL0rsT41rm
— Jack (@jackduck1105) February 17, 2022
Suckers, lol. https://t.co/7ssjNII13J
— Andy Dufresne (@ShwshnkDufresne) February 17, 2022
And we at the RNC are still paying his legal bills? https://t.co/gu8LWnUN1F
— Bill Palatucci (@billpalatucci) February 17, 2022
Cool https://t.co/2v0EEOKzq5
— Joe (@JoePostingg) February 17, 2022
So in other words, donating to Trump = the new tithing and prosperity gospel for Republicans, much to the dismay of anyone in the GOP who speaks against him. https://t.co/KDxIFreRM2
— Annora Brown (@ambrown75) February 17, 2022
Some surmise that Trump's constant solicitation is just another scheme toward self enrichment.
Or in other words Donald just is grabbing money for himself and will keep all the contact info for himself. https://t.co/1WG13bpF1I
— Welshman (@Welshmen) February 17, 2022
So in other words, donating to Trump = the new tithing and prosperity gospel for Republicans, much to the dismay of anyone in the GOP who speaks against him. https://t.co/KDxIFreRM2
— Annora Brown (@ambrown75) February 17, 2022
dfg is going to raise, raise, raise, then keep all of it. Then I'm gonna laugh and laugh. https://t.co/HMq8wkVSjb
— #IamAntifaRadicalLiberalTriggeredSnowflake (@payne_tammi) February 17, 2022
Trump trying to do to GOP fundraising what he did to GOP Senate candidates in Georgia. https://t.co/49ngGWUkPj
— George Callas (@George_A_Callas) February 17, 2022
Trump has yet to announce whether or not he'll be running in 2024, but his fundraising is already presenting obstacles to down ballot races in 2022.