"On the morning after he won a second term as president, Donald Trump placed an unexpected call to his top fundraiser, Meredith O'Rourke. The night before, he'd told a ballroom of supporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, that he had held his last political rally-"Can you believe it?"-and was ready to focus on governing. But his message to O'Rourke after the break of dawn was different. "I want you to keep going," he told her."
"Within weeks, that message had gone out to his Republican donors, as well as to Fortune 500 companies and billionaire investors who typically avoided electoral politics. Their first opportunity was his second inauguration committee, which would eventually raise $241 million, about $90 million more than organizers needed to fund the events-and nearly four times as much as Joe Biden had raised for his own inauguration, in 2021. But that was just the beginning."
"Trump wanted money for the sorts of political operations that many politicians support-the Republican National Committee, his own political action committee, a new dark-money nonprofit group, a super PAC run by longtime advisers. But he was also requesting money for technically apolitical nonprofit causes that offered corporations and wealthy individuals a chance to make tax-deductible contributions, including a dramatic White House renovation, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ( now under his control), his presidential library, and a celebratory Army parade on his birthday."
He called top fundraiser Meredith O'Rourke after his victory and instructed her to continue fundraising. Within weeks, Republican donors, Fortune 500 companies, and billionaire investors were solicited. The second inauguration committee raised $241 million — about $90 million more than organizers needed and nearly four times Joe Biden's 2021 total. He sought funds for the RNC, his PAC, a dark-money nonprofit, and a super PAC run by advisers. He also requested tax-deductible donations for nonprofit causes including a White House renovation, the Kennedy Center, a presidential library, and a celebratory Army parade. By August he estimated at least $1.5 billion; the total now nears $2 billion. He tracks receipts and regularly calls O'Rourke.
Read at The Atlantic
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