I don’t know about you, but I’ve been wondering where Donald Trump would go with financing for the general election. For one thing, the other day I came across a Super Pac established this past January, called Great America PAC, an “Unauthorized” Committee (they all are) that is pro-Trump for President. I wondered about it, and asked a couple of people about it, and didn’t discover much.
Then, yesterday Real Clear Politics published an article, “NBC: Ed Rollins Joins Pro-Trump Super PAC; Says “Time For Republicans To Come Around”:
NBC’s Katy Tur reports veteran Republican operative and national chairman for the Reagan ’84 re-election campaign Ed Rollins will join a pro-Trump Super PAC and encourage his fellow Republicans to coalesce around Donald Trump as the party’s presidential nominee.
“I spoke to Ed Rollins, a longtime GOP operative, a couple of minutes ago who just joined the Donald Trump Super PAC, the Great America Super PAC. He tells me he was a doubter like so many others for a long time. Now he has come around to Donald Trump and it’s time for the rest of the Republicans to come around to help fill in what he calls ‘gaps’ in the campaign right now. He’s talking about fundraising,” Tur reported.
Rollins predicted Clinton will run a $1 billion campaign against Trump and that the Republican front-runner won’t say no to outside fundraising because the money will be needed to run a national campaign in the general….
Today, we have an article in the Wall Street Journal, “Donald Trump Won’t Self-Fund General-Election Campaign – Presumptive Republican nominee plans to create ‘world-class finance organization’ to back campaign”
Donald Trump won’t self-fund his general-election campaign, and will instead create a “world-class finance organization,” the presumptive Republican nominee said in an interview on Wednesday.
For a campaign expected to cost more than $1 billion, “I’ll be putting up money, but won’t be completely self-funding, as I did during the primaries,” Mr. Trump said on Wednesday. The New York businessman, who did receive some mostly small unsolicited donations, lent his campaign $36 million of the $47 million he spent through March.
That plan represents a shift for Mr. Trump, who has for months portrayed his Republican opponents as “puppets” for relying on super PACs and taking contributions from wealthy donors that he said came with strings attached….
The campaign is also beginning to work with the Republican National Committee to set up a joint fundraising vehicle, after his last two rivals—Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich—dropped out in the wake of Mr. Trump’s resounding Indiana win on Tuesday. He plans to actively help the Republican Party and other GOP candidates with fundraising through events, direct-mail and online appeals, an aide said.
Beginning to actively solicit donations, while a super PAC backing him also ramps up his activity, means the billionaire will no longer be able to attack his Democratic opponent in the general election for being beholden to special interests and wealthy donors as he did in the primary. The move is also likely to put off some Trump supporters, many of whom have said his self-funding makes them trust him more than other politicians.
“I don’t think that special interests can buy him,” William Boardwine, an electrician for the mining industry in Grundy, Va., said in an interview last month.
Democrats already seized on Mr. Trump’s announcement as proof of his disingenuity. “This is one more example that voters can’t take Donald Trump at his word,” said DNC communications director Luis Miranda. “He’ll say anything to get elected, so long as it personally benefits him.” ….
Still, a delayed start may not prove a problem for Mr. Trump. Several wealthy donors have already said they would back him if he became the nominee, and billionaire Home Depot Inc. co-founder Ken Langone said Wednesday he was “all in” for Mr. Trump. In addition, the candidate has said his wealthy friends are prepared to cut checks.
The super PAC backing Mr. Trump, meanwhile, is also seeking to ramp up its fundraising operation. Eric Beach, Great America PAC’s fundraiser, said super PAC officials have received about 75 calls, mostly from donors, since Mr. Cruz exited the race on Tuesday evening. The group plans to add dozens of staffers to its payroll and will announce new members of its finance committee in the next weeks.
I’m not offering my opinion here, and I realize that it would be unrealistic for Donald Trump to spend up to $1 billion of his own money on a political campaign.
I know that many people both here and at CTH supported Trump, at least at first, because he was self-funding, and didn’t accept big money donations.
I’m wondering what you think about funding going forward. There is a lot more detail in the WSJ article that you may want to read more carefully.
Stella's Place 
I would not expect Trump to self fund during the general election. Let’s see where the big money goes, early, mid game, then last couple of days in October (after the October surprise).
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I wish he could self fund, but it’s probably unrealistic. It certainly makes him appeal to more voters.
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Will Hilllabeast self fund? Agree Michellc, this is a fight for our Republic, good and evil, the Beast and her enablers must be put down, smack down so bad they won’t raise their heads above their foxholes for 20-30 years.
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Has The Beast ever self funded anything ? Maybe some panties for Huma but other than that I doubt she has paid for anything on her own in 20 years.
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I think most voters like Trump because of what he says he will do. He needs to be elected to do these things. I think he has established that he will be his own man, and now we need to do everything necessary to get him elected, including accepting money.
I think that part of the reconciliation between Trump and the powers that be is a deal to allow them to be partners in the process. This doesn’t mean that they will control him. They want skin in the game so they can partake in the success. They see the writing on the wall. Trump will revitalize the GOP brand, and they will aid him in the process.
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I don’t have a problem with him not self funding. It is not realistic at all, it would be expected of no other candidate, and if he did do it, for all those who supported him for that reason, there would be others who found a way to spin it against him.
People kill me. I want Jack Ryan to be president, but he doesn’t exist outside Tom Clancy books. No president, priest, preacher, teacher, husband, or doctor has ever been perfect. None will be. Trump is good enough for me.
Another good thought provoking post Stella.
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I realize that my link to the WSJ puts you up against a pay wall. I have the complete text of the article, and will post it if anyone is interested.
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A simple question: Is Trump representing
the RNC or the TNC in November, 2016?
The national vote in November should be
the financial responsibility of the RNC; not
the Trump National Committee. He funded
his Primary campaign to be the Republican
National nominee for POTUS 2016. He did
his part to win the Primaries; now it’s time
for the RNC to do its part for the National.
Trump has a lot of wealthy friends who want
him to be successful in his current endeavor.
Most are getting old and it is simply their way
of reciprocating for the good fortune and life
they have enjoyed as citizens of the USA.
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IMO Trump has really already addressed this. Trump says a lot with an efficiency of words and then expects his next step to be self evident. It is his negotiating manner or style of leadership.
Trump said that he is mulling over accepting funds because it would be for the party and the republican nominee as an entity in the quest for the White House, not for him Trump as an individual running for the republican nomination. Those who like him will understand the differentiation those who hate him will attack him and those who support him but have a hard time making the jump will likely cry “foul” at first.
IMO it is a decision Trump has already made and he opens the door to the decision by his earlier comments. Then again as Trump said maybe he will sell a couple of buildings and self fund :D.
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I have to admit, it made me a teensy bit queasy at first, but I actually think this has to be done. Also, I believe he really has America First and he will not take bribes. There are wealthy people out there who are true patriots. He will know who they are. And, we have to WIN.
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The way I look at it is, if Mr. Trump is going to be fund raising for the RNC and the other congressional candidates that are running, the RNC should give money to his campaign. He has been supporting only himself in the primary. Now the RNC will want him to campaign for other down ticket candidates.
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Reading thru these old posts and comments are …idk, something. A good many people never believed it could be accomplished. The crazy people never doubted.
Were any of you surprised when Mr. Trump was really elected? Personally had gone to bed, so never saw the result live. Never doubted the result for a second. And yes, we really were having fun. The entire endeavor was actually joy.
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I wasn’t totally convinced, to tell the truth, but not as surprised as a lot of people were! For instance, I was sure Michigan would go for Trump, and maybe Ohio and Pennsylvania. I was surprised by Wisconsin, to tell the truth.
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