Trump to GOP: Stop Using My Name For Fundraising

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Concerned that his name may be used to support Republican lawmakers former President Donald Trump feels are not loyal enough to him, lawyers for Trump have sent cease-and-desist letters to the three largest fundraising entities for the Republican party, Politico Playbook reported Saturday.

The legal notices went to the Republican National Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and demanded the organizations stop using Trump’s name and likeness on fundraising emails and merchandise, a Trump adviser told Playbook.

The RNC had sent out two fundraising emails Friday, asking supporters to donate and add their name to a “thank you” card for Trump, Playbook reported. “‘President Trump will ALWAYS stand up for the American People, and I just thought of the perfect way for you to show that you support him!’ the email states. ‘As one of President Trump’s MOST LOYAL supporters, I think that YOU, deserve the great honor of adding your name to the Official Trump ‘Thank You’ Card.’ A follow-up email was sent hours later to ‘President Trump’s TOP supporters’ warning of a deadline of 10 hours to get their names on the card,” the Playbook report said.

None of the committees returned Playbook’s request for comment, but Playbook reported that “privately GOP campaign types say it’s impossible not to use Trump’s name, as his policies are so popular with the base. If Trump really wants to help flip Congress, they argue he should be more generous. His team, however, sees this differently.”

A Trump adviser told Playbook that “President Trump remains committed to the Republican Party and electing America First conservatives, but that doesn’t give anyone – friend or foe – permission to use his likeness without explicit approval.”

Playbook had previously reported that Trump was “furious” that GOP fundraising organizations that helped Republicans who voted to impeach him, and had said that any Republican or GOP organization needed explicit permission from Trump to use his name.

“Three sources told us that Trump, who made his fortune licensing his name, has felt burned and ‘abused’ by the GOP bandying about his name to haul in money,” Playbook reported Friday.

In his speech to CPAC in February — when Trump encouraged conservatives to “get rid of” the legislators who supported his second impeachment — Trump “told attendees, ‘there’s only one way’ to donate to Trump Republicans: through his own Save America PAC,” according to Playbook.

As Playbook pointed out Saturday, “Trump, who made his fortune in licensing, has always been sensitive to how his name has been used to fundraise and support members, even while in office.”