Donald Trump triumphs: how the ex-president increases his money Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrate against Netanyahu – the night update without photos

“TRUMP TOWER REMAINS MINE!” With the usual large letters, Donald Trump immediately targeted his supporters on all channels. It was also included in one of his numerous appeals for donations, sent via text message to millions of US phone numbers on Monday.

Trump’s message: He had won a huge victory in an appeals court and was therefore able to keep his real estate. But still, “this is not the time to celebrate,” his message said. Because Trump needs money. $100, $200 or $3,000. All the best to everyone who reads these lines.

The barely comprehensible thing about it is: Trump gets this money too. Although the former American president has to answer countless and extremely expensive lawsuits, he seems to have a miraculous money printing machine. In reality, despite all the alarmism, he seems far from financial bankruptcy. But there is no coincidence or luck behind this, but rather a sophisticated money-making strategy by Trump and his team.

Tactic number one: delay

For days, virtually all American media had speculated about whether Donald Trump’s assets would now be seized. Because on Monday the ultimatum actually expired, according to which he had to pay his fine of $ 464 million. An amount that would have been difficult for the billionaire to raise.

But then, as often happens, an appeals court suddenly opened a back door for Trump. First, he was given another ten-day extension. And if he manages to pay an amount of $ 175 million within this time, then secondly, the still scandalous fraud case in New York will be over for Trump.

The case is an example of the many seemingly hopeless legal challenges Donald Trump has waged in recent years. The billionaire employs an army of lawyers and spends enormous amounts of money on them. To do this, he can take full advantage of the numerous appeals available in the American legal system.

The result: sometimes he appeals. Sometimes he files requests to suppress the work of the courts. Sometimes he causes processes to be delayed. Sometimes he initiates lawsuits and proceedings against those involved, including the prosecuting prosecutors. This is what happened in the state of Georgia. All this also costs many millions of dollars. But just like now in the fraud case in New York, he is left with almost two-thirds of the original amount. It seems like a roulette of lawsuits. And in the end, Trump always wins one way or another.

Tactic number two: taking his social network public

Donald Trump has long been trying to get his own social network called ‘Truth Social’ listed on the stock exchange. He founded it after Twitter blocked him following his statements regarding the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Last Tuesday the time had come: the ‘Trump Media & Technology Group’ was able to celebrate its IPO and thus raised a huge investment amount. A victory for Donald Trump, who can double his net worth with this maneuver.

Immediately after announcing his stock market debut, Trump suddenly appeared for the first time in the list of the 500 richest people in the world. The so-called Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimates that Trump’s net worth has already increased by $4 billion. Accordingly, he now owns $6.5 billion.

As the main owner of the Trump Media & Technology Group, Trump cannot immediately access the money due to restrictions. But he will be allowed to do so after a few months, probably just in time for the hot phase of the presidential elections, when most of the money is traditionally burned.

Tactic number three: tapping party funds

Compared to his competitor Joe Biden, Donald Trump has so far had a decisive disadvantage: he still had a competitor for the presidential candidacy, Nikki Haley, and therefore did not have direct access to the donations collected through the Republican Party. While the Democratic campaign team has long spread to all states to set up campaign headquarters and recruit teams of volunteers, Trump’s party was still primarily concerned with its own primaries.

Since it became clear that Trump’s victory in the Republican primaries could no longer be denied, he and his team couldn’t change that quickly enough. In March, the man who already has significant influence over the Republican Party also seized control of the Grand Old Party’s (GOP) finances.

With the help of his immediate family. The key figure is his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who is married to his son Eric. Of all people, she was elected co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), the party’s main organizing body, at Donald Trump’s request.

Trump’s daughter-in-law now has direct control, for example, of Republican fundraising campaigns. Even before her successful election, Trump meaningfully wrote in a statement: “Every cent will be used appropriately.” He praises 41-year-old Lara Trump as an extremely talented communicator who is committed to his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement.

A few days ago it was announced: a significant portion of the donations received by the Republican Party will now go directly to an organization charged with paying Trump’s legal costs. So first Trump’s private battle comes to court. Then comes the party.

From the perspective of Trump and his supporters, this only makes sense: the former president’s private affairs are highly political in nature, because from the MAGA perspective, his criminal prosecution is also purely politically motivated. So every dollar Trump bails out of jail ensures their election victory.

Tactic number four: Domestic and foreign donors

Even before Trump could celebrate his victory at the appeals court, it appeared he would be seized due to a lack of available funds. Therefore, the question arose early on: did Donald Trump possibly ask Russia, Saudi Arabia or other countries for help in paying off his $464 million debt?

His lawyer Alina Habba did not want to answer this question clearly in a television interview. During an appearance on “Fox News,” she simply said she “couldn’t talk about strategy.” Habba referred to “rules and regulations that are public.”

It would not be the first time that Trump raised money from abroad in an opaque manner. According to a report by House Democrats, Donald Trump received $7.8 million from at least 20 foreign governments during his time in the White House alone, much of it from China, but also from Saudi Arabia. Arabia. Arabia.

Does he raise money through his social network?

An option that could also be used to generate money from abroad via Trump’s social network ‘Truth Social’: companies and foreign governments could indirectly send money to Trump and thus in his election campaign through advertisements on ‘Truth Social’ against Joe Biden to buy.

In the US there are regulations intended to prevent foreign donations in election campaigns. However, it is quite common for candidates to invest large amounts of their private wealth in their own election campaign. Especially in Trump’s case, the boundaries are fluid and difficult to understand.

Recently, a report emerged that domestic billionaires were also looking to join forces to financially support Trump in the event of his $464 fine. Billionaire hedge fund founder John Paulson was said to have been one of them, and oil and gas magnate Harold Hamm is also said to have been involved.

Tactic number five: Small animals screw up too

Donald Trump’s main tactic for making money is still his own supporters. Whether it’s cheap MAGA hats, T-shirts with his mugshot or other trinkets, there’s nothing Trump won’t sell to his supporters at an overpriced price on his campaign platform to raise donations.

At the end of 2023, Trump trailed Joe Biden in total campaign money available. But he dominated in terms of the number of small donors. A New York Times analysis of U.S. Election Commission data recently found that about 668,000 small donors (up to $200) donated to Trump in 2023. Only about 564,000 did so for Joe Biden.

These small donors were an important part of the political dynamics of Trump’s MAGA movement early on. They are among the driving forces behind his third presidential candidate. If nothing else, they represent its broad appeal and loyal following.

And one more aspect should not be underestimated. On his private sales page, Trump also sells numerous so-called luxury products under his brand name. Includes a small jar of honey for $25. There is also a store for his Trump kitsch in his Trump Tower in New York. Trump everywhere: from dog leashes to bibs.

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