Republicans are shrugging off former President Donald Trump’s cease-and-desist orders not to use his name in fundraising efforts, sending out weekend emails inviting supporters to donate money to defend his legacy.
Last week, it emerged that Trump had sent cease-and-desist letters to the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee warning them not to use his name or likeness to raise money.
It is a strategy he has used throughout his business career to protect his brand. Yet he finds himself up against a political movement that came to rely on his star power and has no intention of giving up its best fundraising draw.
“You have been selected as one of the first to be invited to claim your Trump Legacy Membership,” an RNC fundraising email sent on Sunday said. “As a Trump Legacy Member, you will be a key player in our effort to defend President Trump’s America First policies from Biden and the Radical Left.”
TRUMP SENDS CEASE-AND-DESIST LETTERS TO GOP OVER HIS NAME
A senior GOP official dismissed the cease-and-desist letters.
“Trump’s threats have no teeth,” he said. “What’s he going to do? Sue the RNC?”
Trump’s businesses rely heavily on the use of his name, branding everything from Trump Steaks to Trump Ice Natural Spring Water, and the former president and his company have been assiduous in protecting it.
The work continued during his time in office. In 2017, it emerged that China was approving a slew of Trump trademarks covering everything from hotels and golf resorts to bodyguard and concierge services in a country famous for counterfeiting.
Even confidants and political allies have found themselves rapidly ditched if there were any suggestion they might be trying to profit off the Trump name.
For example, David Bossie had been suggested as a possible White House chief of staff in 2018 to replace John Kelly, but months later, he was accused of raising millions off Trump’s name for the Presidential Coalition, a private organization that describes its mission as educating people about the need for conservative leadership but spends little on political activities.
The Trump campaign issued a stinging rebuke and, without mentioning Bossie’s name, called for an investigation.
“President Trump’s campaign condemns any organization that deceptively uses the President’s name, likeness, trademarks, or branding and confuses voters,” it said. “There is no excuse for any group, including ones run by people who claim to be part of our ‘coalition,’ to suggest they directly support President Trump’s reelection or any other candidates, when in fact their actions show they are interested in filling their own pockets with money from innocent Americans’ pay checks, and sadly, retirements.”
Bossie has since returned to the fold.
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But Trump used his recent appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference to warn off the broader Republican movement from using his image for raising money.
“There’s only one way to contribute to our efforts to elect ‘America First’ Republican conservatives and, in turn, to make America great again,” he said said. “And that’s through Save America PAC and donaldjtrump.com.”
