Source: REUTERS
Former President Donald Trump recently hosted a private dinner for Republican billionaire donors at his Trump Tower penthouse, where he expressed frustration over their lack of support for his campaign, according to a report by The New York Times. The ex-president used the event to air grievances, accusing the donors of not doing enough to boost his re-election efforts. He also made controversial remarks, calling Vice President Kamala Harris “retarded,” a term the Special Olympics has condemned as “a form of hate speech.” told by Alternet.
The New York Times described Trump as “frustrated” over consistently trailing Harris in fundraising efforts. According to sources, Trump “tore through a bitter list of grievances” with the gathered donors, insisting that they “needed to do more, appreciate him more, and help him more.”
At the dinner, Trump attempted to remind his wealthy supporters of his past accomplishments, particularly his role in lowering their taxes during his time in office. Despite his complaints, there was little indication that the donors would withdraw their support.
One of the issues reportedly causing Trump’s frustration is the financial gap between his campaign and Harris’s. “One of the reasons for his frustration is money. He’s trailing his Democratic rival in the race for cash and has had to hustle to keep raising it,” the Times reported. Harris, who became the Democratic nominee late in the race, has managed to out-raise Trump in recent months, breaking campaign finance records along the way. In just a few months as a presidential candidate, Harris has raised more than $1 billion—more than Trump has collected throughout the entire year.
During the dinner, Trump also complained about Jewish Americans supporting Harris, saying they needed to “have their heads examined” for voting for the Democratic ticket, according to the report. Despite the negative tone of the evening, Trump’s backers remained committed to his campaign.
One of the guests, Todd Ricketts, son of Chicago Cubs owner Joe Ricketts, reaffirmed his support for the former president. “President Trump was in good form,” Ricketts told the Times. “It was a great dinner, and we left more emphatic than ever to help get him back into the White House.” report from Raw Story.
Other prominent attendees included hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer, billionaire investment banker Warren Stephens, and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who resigned after the January 6 Capitol riots. Despite the tension, the report suggested that Trump’s donor base remains loyal heading into the final stretch of the election campaign.
