Donald Trump Jr. calls on Trump supporters to sign his father's birthday card — and pay for the privilege
- Donald Trump Jr. says supporters must pay to sign his father's birthday card.
- Trump Sr.'s fundraising efforts have recently come under scrutiny in light of the Jan 6 hearings.
Donald Trump Jr. is offering his father's supporters a chance to sign the former president's "official" birthday card — but only if they donate money to his fundraising committee.
"My father has done so much for this great Country, and I know it would mean so much to him to see YOUR NAME on his OFFICIAL Birthday Card," Trump Jr. wrote in an email Insider received on Tuesday night.
A link in the email allows the recipient to write a message to the former president, but potential well-wishers must first pledge at least $1 to send in their online birthday greeting.
Donald Trump Sr. was born on June 14, 1946. Despite the email being sent on the same date this year, the WinRed fundraising website says it allows contributors to get "EARLY ACCESS to leave [Trump Sr.] a special birthday message before ANYONE ELSE."
"This is President Trump's ONLY Official Birthday Card," Trump Jr. wrote in his email. "So make sure you sign THIS ONE and not the other fake ones out there."
"HURRY — there's not much time left. I can only save your spot for 20 MINUTES," the email continues.
The former president's fundraising efforts have come under renewed scrutiny after the January 6 House Committee suggested he had raised millions on false claims that the presidency was stolen from him.
According to campaign filings, Trump Sr. raised more than $250 million in the two months after the 2020 election — during which he aggressively touted his baseless claims of voter fraud.
The New York Times reported that Trump has since accumulated a total of $390 million in donations, which he said would help to overturn his election defeat, boost his allies' political campaigns, and "save America from Joe Biden and the radical left."
However, the outlet reported that much of the money has actually gone to paying off expenses for Trump's 2020 presidential campaign and strengthening his political operation so he can run for president again in 2024. Per The Times, he still has $144 million of these contributions in the bank "as of a few months ago."
According to the January 6 committee, the Trump team would send up to 25 fundraising emails a day before the Capitol attack. Both Trumps would often send donation requests from the same email address, touting rewards such as a signed photo from the former president and a chance to win an "exclusive VIP" dinner with Trump.
One email offered to bestow the title of "Great MAGA King Status" upon donors, whom the fundraising email described as Trump Sr.'s "most RELIABLE and DEDICATED supporters."
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian at New York University and an expert on authoritarian leaders, told Insider's Charles Davis that Trump has been "extremely disciplined in grifting and in trying to use the presidency to make money."
"His aims were autocratic in that he wanted to turn public office into a vessel of making money for himself; to have private profit off of public office," Ben-Ghiat said.