President Trump’s campaign is scheduled to hold a virtual fundraiser commemorating two years since the United States moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by the Washington Examiner.
The videoconference event signals a return to high-dollar fundraising by the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee after two months on the sidelines because of the coronavirus. Scheduled for Thursday afternoon, the Zoom fundraiser was set to be headlined by Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York.
Individual tickets were available for $2,800. But Trump campaign donors or bundlers were encouraged to contribute or raise thousands from others in exchange for a private virtual roundtable discussion to take place before the main virtual event, similar to how in-person fundraising dinners and luncheons are run.
Per the invitation, donor/bundler categories include “Trump Train,” for those who donate $50,000 or raise $25,000; “KAG Club,” for those who give $10,000 or raise $15,000; and “Team 2020,” for those who contribute $5,600 or raise $5,000. The money raised is being collected by a joint fundraising committee composed of the Trump campaign, the RNC, and a collection of state GOP affiliates.
The Trump campaign throughout the pandemic has continued to raise tens of millions of dollars online in small increments from grassroots donors. But the president and his team halted fundraising from wealthy contributors and bundlers because of the sensitivity of asking for money in the middle of a public health crisis and meltdown of the national economy. Nearly 85,000 people have died from the coronavirus in the U.S., and more than 35 million people have lost their jobs.
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in an interview last month, however, that she expected the campaign to resume major donor fundraising in May or June via virtual events. With Election Day less than six months out, Thursday’s virtual Trump campaign fundraiser would appear to go hand in hand with the president’s expanded focus on reopening the economy.
