The Republican Party may have been the victims of a carpet-bombing in this month's elections, but you know who made out like a bandit? Donald Trump, of course. Trump's private businesses, which he has not divested from, raked up $4.2 million from Republican campaigns during the just-closed election cycle. The Republican National committee has been eager to hold events at Trump's for-profit businesses. "Conservative" candidates and political action committees have made a point of lining Trump's pockets as well.
But the biggest suckers, of course, are the poor dumb dolts who have been giving cash to Trump's supposed 2020 "re-election" campaign.
In that time, Trump’s best customer was a candidate who wasn’t even on the ballot in 2018: Trump himself. His 2020 reelection campaign spent $743,781 at Trump-owned properties since Inauguration Day, paying for rent at Trump Tower, for lodging at Trump’s D.C. hotel and for water from Trump Ice.
What a wonderful, cheap little grift. Trump's fans all pony up their $20 or $40 donations, thinking the bit about Making America Great is just around the corner. Trump's campaign puts all the sucker-money into a big sucker-sack and hands it over to Donald Trump's own businesses. The terms of Trump's non-divestment allows him to pull out whatever profits he wants and stuff them under a White House mattress. And you don't have to try to sell the morons bottled water, or steak, or admission into a worthless scam university; they offer you money, and you just take it!
As for the rest of the Republican Party, they appear to be getting what they deserve, good and hard. The Washington Post reports that of the top ten Republican candidates spending cash at Trump properties, four ended up losing their re-election bids and a fifth (Rep. Bill Shuster) retired. Go figure.
Mixed feelings abound. What Trump's doing is obviously crooked and any other member of government who tried it would be indicted immediately. But on the other hand, all the people being scammed here very, very, very much deserve it. Sure, toss your cash his way and let him light it on fire. Wasn't doing you much good to begin with, right?