One point Donald Trump made on the primary path to becoming the presumptive Republican nominee was he was self-funding his campaign, meaning he wasn’t “controlled” by “special interests.” Since becoming the presumptive GOP nominee, Trump has been singing a different tune. The reason for the about-face, according to Trump, is the Republican Party “really wanted to do it” and he wanted to “show good spirit.”
In an interview with the Associated Press, Trump was to square his primary boasts about self-funding with his current solicitation, to which Trump replied the Republican National Committee urged him to do it. “The RNC really wanted to do it, and I want to show good spirit. ‘Cause I was very happy to continue to go along the way I was,” the candidate told the AP.
Trump will host his first fundraisers of the campaign this week, “a small gathering Tuesday in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and a large $25,000-per-head dinner Wednesday in Los Angeles.”
According to the AP, “For every check he solicits — and donors can give almost $450,000 apiece — the first $5,400 goes to Trump’s primary and general election campaign accounts. The rest is spread among the RNC and 11 state parties.”
In September, the AP reports, Trump tweeted, “By self-funding my campaign, I am not controlled by my donors, special interests or lobbyists. I am working only for the people of the U.S.!”
Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic Party nominee, is seeking to raise upwards of $1 billion in her bid for the White House.