Cast your mind back just a couple of quick years, to the halcyon days immediately following the networks called the race for Biden. You remember, when people ran out of their houses and apartments, and people emptied out of stores and businesses to dance in the streets, while car horns blasted, cuz, ya know, Ding-dong, the witch is dead, the wicked witch, the witch is dead!
Trump’s reaction was predictable. In the days following the calling of the race, Traitor Tot immediately went on a media and social media blitz to Stop the Steal! He went on a social media fundraising blitz, linking to a bogus , personal Leadership PAC that didn’t spend a goddamned dime for legal fees or court costs to try to contest the 2020 election. And Trump raked in $100 million in seven days!
This shouldn’t have surprised anybody. After all, His Lowness has always been a prolific fundraiser, using social media, e-mail, and text to endlessly rake in huge amounts from small money donors that he could tap over and over again. Which he did. That’s the real stranglehold Trump has over the GOP, his ability to strangle the RNC and other candidates from raising money.
A few weeks ago I wrote an article in which I posited that FrankenTrump was throwing away a golden opportunity by not consistently hitting the trail while he was the only announced candidate. Not only spreading the word and soothing his ego, but branding potential opponents before they could get out there and brand themselves.
I mused that possibly Trump was having fundraising troubles. After all, when Trump officially declared for President, he walked away from the $100 million in that Leadership PAC. AQ declared candidate can neither control, access, or coordinate with the managers of a PAC or Super PAC. And I don’t care how prolific of a fundraiser you are, it takes time to set up the mechanics and logistics of a campaign fundraising operation.
Was this why Traitor Tot wasn’t jetting around the country of Trump Force 1, renting 25-30,000 seat capacity venues, hiring workers and manufacturing schlock campaign memorabilia to sell there? Don’t even think about how much it costs to fuel up an Airbus, pay a crew, and pay the landing and docking fees. And holding a rally requires proof of insurance, as well as paying the city for the manpower for cleanup, street control, and security. When Trump was President, he traveled for free, and our tax dollars covered some of the rest.
I said at the time that what I really wanted to see was the results of the 4th quarter fundraising results that all active campaigns are required to file with the FEC. Remember, Trump didn’t file until the 2nd week of November, so normally only 6 weeks of fundraising would need to be reported. But Trump had announced his campaign reelection fundraising site on January 21st, 2017, so all three months had to be accounted for.
Well, the 4th quarter FEC filing results are in, and they’re piss miserable for Trump. The filing shows that in the 1st six weeks of the 4th quarter, the Trump campaign raised a rather anemic $11 million. But in the last six weeks of the quarter, after Trump announced, fundraising dropped to a truly pathetic $9 million. The Old, omnipotent Trump should have been good for at least $40-50 million in that time.
I’m now more convinced than ever that Trump’s vaunted fundraising capabilities are now highly overrated. If you want more proof, try this. A couple of days ago His Lowness left his Mar-A-Lago bunker for his first two campaign events since he announced. And what were they?
One was an official state GOP function held at the South Carolina state capitol. Invitations were restricted. But here’s the nick. The state was paying for all of that shit, all Trump had to do was to show up and speak. There was little to no out of pocket for him. The second one was listed by the Trump campaign as a rally in New Hampshire. Sure, if you want to call an invitation only gathering of the New Hampshire state GOP a rally. Again, note that this was a state sponsored event, they were the ones picking up the tab for the site and logistics, and as a result, Trump spoke to a “crowd” estimated to be about 400 people. So much for the good old days.
And here’s the McGuffin. I saw a video of an interview Trump gave to a tame reporter on the plane on the way to New Hampshire. And that plane was not Trump Force 1. It was a much smaller, corporate style private jet. I’m guessing that either South Carolina or New Hampshire, or both, chipped in to get FrankenTrump to and from the events.
If I’m right, and I think I am, this could be a serious blow for Trump going into 2024. After all, in 2016 Trump blew away opponents with mega hours of basically free advertising with fawning coverage on the networks, and almost unlimited financial resources. One of Trump’s unspoken assets of 2024 would be to scare off potential opponents with his almost superhuman fundraising capabilities.
But hell, if I can read an FEC filing, then I pretty much guarantee you that a bunch of professional miscreants like Haley, Pissantis, Pence, Pimpeo, Noem and Bolton can read one too. And If they can see that The Trumpster Fire isn’t going to run away and hide from them with fundraising, then he loses that edge of media invincibility. Especially when you consider that even FUX News doesn’t even cover the majority of his rambling shit anymore.
But Hair Twitler still has a secret weapon in his pocket, and the GOP has to be wary of it. And that secret weapon is his rock solid, immovable, maniacal 28% base of support. If the GOP foolishly insists on a redux of 2016, with 10-12 challengers, then Trump can once again ride that rock solid 28% base to victories in the early critical primary states, piling up the kind of delegate lead that will be almost impossible for anyone else to overcome once the field winnows down. I called it once, and it can happen again if they’re stupid.
So there you have it. I will of course be watching for the FEC 1st quarter filings like a hawk in mid to late April. But if Trump comes out of that quarter without raising at least $60-80 million, then he’s in deep shit. Because Trump will no longer be able to pull away from other populist, first rate campaigns in fundraising, removing Trump’s formidable ad spending edge. And once again, Trump is down to the threat of his 28% base. Not enough to win in 2024, but enough to make sure that nobody else can win either.This is just getting started.
At least we now know the accurate percentage of cult members in the voting public. When do they pass out the poison to see Jesus? Of course he can still depend on mainstream media to obfuscate the truth.
When he sharted his way down the escalator at Trump Tower and afterwards he bragged abut being “really, really rich” and not wanting or needing donations. He’d self-fund his campaign and therefore not be beholden to anyone. Those of us with a lick of common sense knew of course that he was lying and of course he was. BUT, if he’s so freaking rich there’s no reason at all why he couldn’t have self-funded some of his signature rallies. The thing is, he’s NOT really, really rich but rather what’s know as highly leveraged. Those he owes money to (both legitimate and not) have kept his “empire” propped up for years in the hopes of getting some of their money back – to minimize their losses. It’s not uncommon with folks like Trump.
But here’s the real kicker. Correct me if I’m wrong but I haven’t heard the same amount of bragging about how fucking rich he is in a fairly long time now. He might have assets in the form of golf clubs and other stuff but he’s cash poor and was already fumbling all those financial balls he’s been juggling for years – BEFORE Weisselberg got shipped off to Rikers for six months. Now that’s enough to make even the cold sweats he’s having wash off that ugly orange spray tan!
That event a couple of weeks ago in that HS gym, which drew a hundred or so people.
From what I read and hear in hardcore maga online conversations, his base is slowly but steadily eroding as his followers become disillusioned. Quite a few are already saying they won’t vote for him in 2024, and quite a few say they won’t vote at all. Four of his last five midterm rallies drew no more than a couple thousand attendees each and were held in fourth or fifth tier venues. I suspect he’s staying off the road not only for financial reasons but also because he fears he can no longer draw a sizable crowd. Because that would mean he’s a loser.
And then one must consider the followers that are now dead because they were dumb enough to trust his COVID advice. Exterminating your own fanbase is a lousy growth plan.
“And once again, Trump is down to the threat of his 28%. Not enough to win in 2024, but enough to make sure that nobody else can win, either.”
Then Uncle Joe and Auntie Kamala handily wins in 2024.
Thank you, Donald Trump!
Well it’s a good thing Kamala gets to decide who’s President isn’t it? Neither she nor uncle Joe need to even bother to campaign. Tantrumthinskin and the GOP have already said they agree that the VP gets to unilaterally decide who the winner is. For sone reason tho, I just have a suspicion that just like how the GOP was fine with Trump raising the deficit MORE in 4 years than Obama & George W in 16 YEARS COMBINED, but NOW they are deficit hawks, that the whole VP unilaterally deciding who’s President isn’t something they support anymore.
Frankly, I’d be shocked if Trump has actually left that $100 million in that SUPERPAC on the table. My guess is it’s still keeping his squandered massive inheritance afloat. Since when does tantrumthinskin follow the law? Remember they’re the ‘me FIRST’ party. ‘Rules for thee, not for me.’ And that goes for campaign finance too. The US’s largest Medicare fraudster is leading their Senate ‘budget’ team, right?
The US’s largest Medicare fraudster is leading their Senate ‘budget’ team, right?
What is in the water in Florida? They knew he ripped off Medicare and still, all those retired seniors voted for him! Now they have DeSatan behaving like a dictator.
I knew a lovely, intelligent woman who moved to Florida and within a year, she was born again, proselytizing and haranguing the rest of us. Nothing wrong with being born again I suppose but trying to cram your new found religion down my throat is not okay. We’ve lost touch and that’s fine with me.
“And once again, Trump is down to the threat of his 28%. Not enough to win in 2024, but enough to make sure that nobody else can win, either.”
Then Uncle Joe and Auntie Kamala handily win in 2024.
Thank you, Donald Trump!
Yeah, seen that coming. That’s why I never thought he was serious about 24. I think now though it makes him more dangerous. Like a wounded wild animal. It would have been one thing for him to take his own lard ass out at last minute with a sweet war chest. Now the walls are closing in on the what 10+ investigations and you also have his ego to contend with with everyone saying what’s up, chump or is that chimp.