Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Trump’s Reversal Fund-raising Seems Unlikely to Dent His Popularity | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page
Media ID: 55350779
Caption:

Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Eugene, Oregon, U.S. on May 6, 2016. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart


U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump’s supporters seemed to be untroubled by his new decision to accept money from outside donors, although he vowed earlier to have his presidential campaign self-funded.

A vow that has been the basis of his election strategy which he relied on, so that he reflects his independency and to further prove that he shall not be played or dominated by wealthy donors, noting that the latter has accepted over than $12 million in contributions so far.

On the matter, critics accused Trump of flip flopping, however some of his supporters did not seem to agree on the accusations.

Last week Trump stated that he will no longer self-finance his campaign and that he will be working with the party to raise more than $1 billion to help him fight his eventual Democratic Party challenger.

His supporters somehow understood that in his position he would be in need for further resources to compete in the general election, and showed to have no problem in donating to the latter, adding that many of them were interviewed and only few seemed to be concerned with his reversal, though all of them assured that they still support him. As for the majority of his fans seemed to admire how billed himself as a “blue-collar billionaire” who didn’t need other people’s money.

Adding that according to those who support him, Trump’s pledge to self-finance his campaign is not more important than his promises and the changes he vowed to make to their surrounding and life style.

For example, Sharon Jones, a 53-year old Wal-Mart cashier from Coleman County, Alabama, says her anger over undocumented immigrants shopping at her store on welfare benefits is animating her support for Trump, who has promised to deport undocumented workers and build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.

“They are doing better than I am on my $9.45 an hour,” Jones said.

Trump is not the first U.S. presidential candidate to change his mind about financing his election campaign.

In the 2008 election, Obama also did an about-face. He said he would forego public financing of his general election campaign against Republican John McCain. This was a reversal of his earlier stance and it allowed him to pursue a record fund-raising effort. Supporters were unfazed by the shift and Obama went on to win the election.