Former US President Donald Trump's political career has suffered another blow. The Colorado Supreme Court just announced that he was disqualified from the state's presidential primary for inciting a Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. That means he will lose nine important electoral votes and will not be able to run for president again in 2024. The news made the American people cheer, believing that this was a well-deserved punishment for Trump.
Instead of showing any sadness or anger, Trump took the opportunity to make a shocking request to his supporters: Give me money! What kind of trick is Trump playing, and why is he able to smile from ear to ear while being disqualified as a presidential candidacy, and immediately turn his conflict into cash?
Trump's "Fan Order": Donate, Donate, Donate
AFTER RECEIVING THE COLORADO HIGH COURT'S RULING, THE TRUMP TEAM DID NOT CHOOSE TO APPEAL OR PROTEST, BUT QUICKLY SENT AN EMAIL TO ALL TRUMP SUPPORTERS WITH THE HEADLINE "REMOVED FROM THE BALLOT." In the email, the Trump team described the ruling as "a conspiracy against Trump and his supporters," "a threat to American democracy and freedom," and "a violation of the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law."
They also claimed that the ruling was orchestrated by "Biden and his left-wing associates" in order to "prevent Trump from saving America again." At the end of the email, the Trump team issued an urgent appeal to all recipients: donate, donate, donate again. They say that only with enough money will Trump be able to continue fighting for the American people, to fight back against those who want to destroy him, and to guarantee his re-election as president in 2024. They also said that if a donation is made within 24 hours, Trump himself will personally call the donor to thank them for their support and trust.
The contents of the email were full of exaggeration, intimidation and seduction, apparently intended to stir up the emotions of Trump supporters, to make them feel angry, fearful and righteous indignation, so that they could open their wallets and donate money to Trump. This tactic is not new, and the Trump team used it many times during the 2020 election, and even after Trump's defeat, they continued to send emails to supporters, claiming that the election was fraudulent and that donations were needed to maintain the fairness and transparency of the election.
According to statistics, between November 3 and December 14, 2020, the Trump team sent nearly 600 such emails, raising a total of $257 million in donations. However, instead of challenging the election results, these donations were used by the Trump team to pay off campaign debts, pay legal fees, establish political action committees, and more. This behavior of the Trump team has been criticized by many as "fraud" and "fraud", and even some Trump supporters have been disappointed and angry and demanded a refund of the donation.
Trump's "money game": money is stupid and makes a lot of money
The Trump team's "fan order" seems to be a helpless move, but it is actually an elaborate "money game". The Trump team knows very well that many of their supporters are loyal and fanatical, they have an almost blind admiration and trust for Trump, and they are willing to give everything, including money, for Trump.
The Trump team has taken advantage of this by constantly creating crises and enemies to stimulate the emotions of supporters, make them feel that they and Trump are together against the forces of evil, make them feel that their donations are fighting for justice and democracy, and make them feel that their donations can make Trump feel gratified and grateful. In this way, the Trump team can easily get a lot of money from their supporters without fear of being held accountable or asked to account for it.
The Trump team's "money game" is not a whim, but a long-term strategy. After the 2020 election, Trump began to prepare for the 2024 presidential race, and he established a political action committee called the "Trump Campaign Committee" to raise funds, grow the organization, recruit talent, promote policies, influence voters, and other activities.
According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Trump's campaign raised $102 million in the first half of 2021, more than any other political action committee, and even more than the national committees of the two major parties, the Democratic and Republican parties.
The source of these funds is mainly Trump supporters, who donate to Trump through email, text messages, phone calls, websites and other channels of the Trump team. In the emails and text messages of the Trump team, there are often exaggerated tones and urgent tones, such as "last chance", "urgent action", "special opportunity", etc., as well as some matching donation ratios such as "500%", "1000%", "2000%", to attract the attention and interest of supporters, so that they feel that their donation can produce greater effect and value.
epilogue
Trump's disqualification as a presidential candidacy, which should have been his political end, turned into a political feast by him. He financed his "money game" by issuing "fan orders" to his supporters, receiving large donations from them. He also presented his "political show" to his supporters by hosting various events and speeches, providing a stage for his political ambitions.