Trump To GOP: I Am The Party! But Don't Try To Fundraise Off My Name.

Always be hustling.

Last week, lawyers for Donald Trump sent cease and desist letters to the three largest Republican groups demanding that they stop using the former president’s name and likeness in their fundraising materials.

As Politico was first to report, Trump is pissed that the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and the National Republican Congressional Committee are using his name in their near-hourly pleas for cash.

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.

His team has conveyed that any Republican or GOP committee seeking to use it needs explicit approval, according to five sources familiar with the situation. One Trump adviser said they’ve been sending out cease-and-desists to faux PACs using Trump’s name to fundraise, among other demands to knock it off.

The former president, who enjoys wide support among the Republican base, has made no bones about intending to remain the center of the GOP universe. But while the Emperor expects unconditional fealty from his subjects, they can expect no such loyalty in return. While the RNC, RSCC, and NRCC are focused on protecting incumbents and taking back the House and Senate in 2022, Trumps main concern is making sure that no use uses his name to fundraise for any of the “traitors” who backed impeachment.

“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,” a Trump advisor told Politico. Which you can safely read as If you want my help, you’re gonna have to throw Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Liz Cheney overboard.

He’s also hot to direct all donors to his own campaign and PAC, as CNN notes. Two weeks ago at CPAC, Trump directed his fans to make their checks out to him, or risk wasting it on anti-MAGA fifth columnists. “There’s only one way to contribute to our efforts to elect America First Republican conservatives, and in turn to make America great again,” he said, “and that’s through Save America PAC and DonaldJTrump.com.”

But the Republican establishment seems to be ignoring Trump, whose habit of having his lawyers fire off nasty letters threatening dubious litigation is well known.

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Meanwhile the NRSC landing page is currently flogging two Trump T-shirts under the heading “Featured Merch.” One features a photograph of Trump with the caption “Miss Me Yet?” and the other depicts the former president in louche embrace with an American flag.

And speaking of unfortunate couplings … good luck to the GOP and Trump, who clearly hate each other more than the Lockhorns but are doomed to grapple ’til death do us part. Oh, you crazy kids!

Playbook: McCarthy struggles to manage Trump [Politico]
Playbook: Scoop: Trump sends legal notice to GOP to stop using his name [Politico]


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Elizabeth Dye lives in Baltimore where she writes about law and politics.