The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute is requesting that President Trump’s reelection campaign and the Republican National Committee stop using the late president’s name in their fundraising efforts.
The request follows an email sent out by the Trump Make America Great Again Committee promising supporters two commemorative coins to those who donated at least $45 to the committee. The coins would include one with Trump’s face on it and one with Reagan’s, the Washington Post reported Saturday.
The committee is jointly run by the RNC and Trump’s campaign.
The foundation is currently trying to figure out how many coins were distributed and may take further legal action. It has the sole rights to Reagan’s name and can block it from being used for political endorsements and commercial purposes.
RNC Communications Director Michael Ahrens told Forbes on Sunday that the request was surprising since the foundation had not objected to them using Reagan’s name before.
“President Reagan was a proud Republican and supporter of a party that has carried on his fight for conservative principles of economic opportunity and limited government,” Ahrens said. “His likeness is used by thousands of Republicans each year who gather around the country for ‘Reagan Dinners,’ and his library regularly hosts debates for our presidential candidates.”
On Sunday, Trump hit back at the foundation in a tweet saying it is run by the Washington Post.
“So the Washington Post is running the Reagan Foundation, and RINO Paul Ryan is on the Board of Fox, which has been terrible,” he said. “We will win anyway, even with the phony @FoxNews suppression polls (which have been seriously wrong for 5 years)!”
So the Washington Post is running the Reagan Foundation, and RINO Paul Ryan is on the Board of Fox, which has been terrible. We will win anyway, even with the phony @FoxNews suppression polls (which have been seriously wrong for 5 years)! https://t.co/fOi3AROxuz
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2020
Trump’s message came in response to a tweet that mentioned Fred Ryan, the CEO and publisher of the Washington Post and chairman of the foundation. Ryan was also the White House chief of staff under Reagan.
