Donald Trump completed his control of the Republican Party last Friday, placing three of his close friends, including his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, at the head of the political party.
The calculated scenario now gives the populist complete control over the political mechanisms of the organization, as well as over the fundraising, but also over its spending, which is what the former president, who last Tuesday became the almost guaranteed candidate of the Republicans in view of the upcoming elections. Trump may be tempted to use it to cover the huge legal costs that accompany his new election campaign.
The controversial allocation of resources, in favor of the candidate facing 91 criminal charges, which should now take place in a context in which internal resistance, after this change of guard, is almost non-existent, is denounced by many critical voices in the country. American conservative movement.
“I feel that [le Comité national républicain] Former National Security Advisor to Mike Pence, Olivia Troye, announced on Saturday on the American network MSNBC that “the party has officially and publicly become Donald Trump’s legal spending fund,” while calling on “Republican and independent voters to stop donating to the party.”
“The entire foundation of the Republican Party and conservatism has been shaken and distorted by an insane amount of misinformation,” she added. the [Comité] It should be renamed to express only what it now stands for: Trumpism. »
On her way to the position of Vice President of the political party, which was awarded to her by the committee meeting in Houston, Texas, last Friday, at the request of the former president, Lara Trump did not hide her intentions to tip the party’s balance in favor of funding. His father-in-law's increasingly high legal bills. The former reality TV star is surrounded by US justice in four separate criminal cases, among other things, for trying to stay in power by organizing a rebellion in 2021 and for seeking to steal the voting results in Georgia, which gave the keys. To Joe Biden's White House during the recent presidential election. It is also brought before the courts in several civil cases.
From South Carolina at the end of February, Lara Trump said she believed Republican voters would support the committee paying her father-in-law's increased legal costs because they view these lawsuits as “political persecution,” repeating that. The rhetoric of victimhood that the former president used to rally his followers.
“That's why people are angry now. They feel like this is an attack not only on Donald Trump, but on this country,” she added.
Money and patronage
According to Lara Trump, the presence of a member of the billionaire family at the head of the political party would “enhance the confidence” of Republicans in the political party, the presidency of which was entrusted on Friday to Michael Whatley, the Republican from North Carolina, who assumed its presidency on Friday. He became a mouthpiece for Donald Trump's false theories about election fraud.
“I can assure you of my loyalty to my father-in-law and I will ensure that every cent is used properly,” his daughter-in-law added.
In 2021, the Republican National Committee agreed to pay part of the former president's legal costs for his defense against the state of New York, which then accused him of manipulating the finances of his real estate empire. In this case, Donald Trump was ordered on February 16 to pay a $355 million fine for conspiracy.
The former head of the political party, Ronna McDaniel, announced in 2022 that the party would no longer bear this type of expense once the former president became a candidate for the White House again and launched his election campaign. She then left the favor of the populists, before being pushed to the exit door on March 8, under the pretext of her poor record in fundraising, according to Donald Trump’s entourage.
Big bills
The legal setbacks are costly for the man most likely to be the Republican nominee, a rare president to be impeached after one term (in 2020), and who spent on legal fees in 2023 alone more than $50 million raised from his donors, according to the documents. His campaign officials raised it in front of Federal Election Commission Last February.
This money comes primarily from Donald Trump's campaign support groups, called “Make America Great Again” and “Make America Great Again.” Save America, which the populist regularly uses to challenge his base and call on them to donate generously to help him defend himself against the oppression of which he claims to be a victim. Even if the populist's ability to attract donors is not diminished, he nonetheless appears to have entered the 2024 election year with less money than President Joe Biden.
The first time, Donald Trump took a note of the caution of 91.6 million dollars a year from the American insurance company to share the money that was due to E. Jean Carroll after contracting in a project with a different intent. journalist. The populist has appealed the ruling.
He has until March 30 to collect another bond, this time for $500 million, in the fraud and conspiracy case within the Trump Organization, in which he has also filed an appeal.
Last week, Chris LaCivita, an adviser to Donald Trump in his run for the White House who was just elected director of Republican Party operations, warned that radical changes and moves of people at all levels of political training will require a place to “ensure the smooth functioning” and support of the former president's candidacy. . But he stressed that paying his legal bills is not part of the current projects, denouncing “speculation” that aims “only to intimidate donors.”
An assertion that Mississippi Republican National Committee member Henry Barbour would have liked to include in a resolution prohibiting a political organization from paying legal fees to candidates for federal or state office. For more confidence, but to no avail.
“Republican National Committee money should only be spent on winning elections, on political expenses, not on paying legal bills,” he said days before last Friday's committee meeting. His project failed: his resolution could not be presented to the members, because it was not sponsored by 10 countries as required by the statute of the political party, which is now in the hands of the former president.
