Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said at his campaign event on Thursday that he raised $6 million for veterans thanks in part to a laundry list of wealthy friends.
Trump read a list of names of people who had donated for about 15 to 20 minutes. The real estate mogul frequently interrupted himself to go on tangents about how good his friends were to him and how he didn’t accept millions of dollars for his own campaign’s use because he was self-funding his road to the White House.
He was also interrupted at one point by a protestor who the crowd drowned out with chants of “USA!” Trump said he “loved protests” because they allowed the media to show off the crowd size, then continued reading off his list.
Trump said Treasure Island casino owner Phil Ruffin, who Trump suggested could negotiate with China in his administration, and his wife Oleksandra Nikolayenko donated $1 million. Both joined the real estate mogul onstage.
Trump said Marvel Entertainment CEO Ike Perlmutter and his wife, Laura, also gave $1 million. A “very, very rich man in New York” who wanted to remain anonymous gave $1 million, and Trump said he himself, “a really great builder in New York and now a politician,” gave another $1 million.
The billionaire said that a list of the veterans organizations that would receive the donations was available in-person at the event.
Hmmm. The elusive recipient list. The spokes-liar went on TV today and said the recipients list was on the website and would be announced at the “rally”, now it’s a bit of a scavenger hunt. Probably just an oversight.
Blah blah blah blah blah. Show me the proof the money when it gets in the hands of he Vets
So, what’s the verdict, folks? Did this decision to skip the debate and hold his own event help Trump, or hurt him? My guess is it didn’t hurt him and may have helped him. This move deprived his opponents of a chance to attack him to his face, while he still managed to suck up a good deal of the election-night media with his totally Donald-centric prime-time show, which a competing network helpfully agreed to run live. Oh, and he got to look both patriotic and generous, by raising millions for veterans. On the minus side of the ledger, his opponents got to take free shots at him in the debate (though at least from the part I watched, they barely did other than a few softballs at the outset) and his opponents will be able to say he’s scared to debate them. On balance, it still looks to me like he helped his chances more than he hurt his chances.
was he hinting at Ruffin for Sec of State?
Matthew 23:27-28
27"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed
tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full
of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
28"So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
…
List the names Donnie! List 'em!. Make 'em seem all righteous! That’s the ticket.