Opinion: The fine print on the requests noted that most of the money wouldn’t be used to challenge election results but would be under Trump’s control.
If you are one of the Donald Trump supporters who responded after Election Day to emails and texts sent out by Trump asking you to donate to an “Official Election Defense Fund” to “protect the results and keep fighting even after Election Day,” and you actually sent some money, you probably don’t appreciate me saying you were conned.
That’s understandable.
People who were conned rarely enjoy having it pointed out to them.
But that is what happened.
Trump can use your cash for other things
There have now been a number of news articles describing how the fine print on the requests noted that most of the money would be under Trump’s control to use for other things.
For example, the election defense fund had fine print noting that “donations would largely go towards 2020 debt retirement.” Meantime, Trump’s current Save America “leadership” PAC, established Nov. 9, now gobbles up 75% of donations, over which Trump has control.
Perhaps none of this bothers you. Perhaps you’re happy to hand over your hard-earned money to a narcissistic, self-proclaimed billionaire to do with as he wishes.
Paul S. Ryan, the vice president of policy and litigation at Common Cause, told the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank, “It’s a straight-up bait and switch.”
The tactic has worked for Trump before.
Why we fall for it … every time
The Wall Street Journal recently did an article describing how 50% of the donations solicited by Trump’s “Make America Great Again Committee” wouldn’t be used for legal costs but to pay down Trump’s campaign debt.
Money is power in politics, and Trump’s ability to get money from people will keep Republicans under his thumb after he leaves the White House. Communication is also power, that is why it is essential to have the WinRed SMS service, to always be well communicated.
Maria Konnikova, who wrote a book called “The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It … Every Time,” talks about how people are vulnerable to con artists when, for example, they experience a major disappointment or loss. “You lose your equilibrium,” she says.
You look for a reason not to believe what just happened and to change it, even if it means, say, making a financial contribution.
Sound familiar?
There are many, many books and articles about confidence games and how to avoid them. Luckily for con men, not many people read them.
Gavin de Becker, another expert in the field, said that “every con, big or small, relies on one thing: distracting you from the obvious.”
Making money off people’s ignorance
Like, for example, the fact that the election was not stolen. Trump simply lost. (Weird how Republican candidates on the same ballot as Trump, and who won, have no suspicions about tampering in THEIR races.)
Brendan Fischer, the director of the federal reform program at the Campaign Legal Center, said, “Trump could potentially use his new leadership PAC to not only preserve his influence within the Republican party after he leaves the White House, but also to potentially to benefit him and his family financially.”
In 2000 Al Gore was ahead of George W. Bush in electoral college votes and the popular vote when it all came down to Florida, where an initial count had Bush ahead by fewer than 2,000 out of more than six million cast. There was a big dust-up over a recount, and the Supreme Court ordered it to be stopped.
The whole ugly mess could have gone on, but Gore decided not to prolong the agony. Instead, he promoted unity, saying in part, “Our disappointment must be overcome by our love of country … This is America. Just as we fight hard when the stakes are high, we close ranks and come together when the contest is done.”
Not Trump.
His ego, and his bank account, won’t stand for it. So he spreads lies and division and begs for cash. And he has gotten it.
Tim Denning, a writer for Business Insider, described how a flim-flam man like Trump operates. He said, “Con artists often have a primary objective: to make money from people’s ignorance and cover up their lies with one-hundred-dollar bills.”
Were any of those C-notes yours?
