And Kevin McCarthy's Revenge Has Begun
Who would be surprised that Señor Trumpanzee announced that he wants all candidates using his name or likeness in their fundraising appeals to fork over a minimum of 5% of the haul? It’s just Republicans and doesn’t include Democrats who use Trump’s name and likeness to scare people into contributing.
And they have to start forking over the cash immediately. Trump also decided that “Any split that is higher than 5% will be seen favorably by the RNC and President Trump’s campaign and is routinely reported to the highest levels of leadership within both organizations.” He also warned that “Any vendor whose clients ignore the guidelines mentioned above will be held responsible for their clients’ actions,” and that “Repeated violations will result in the suspension of business relationships between the vendor and Trump National Committee JFC. This includes list rental agreements.”
Trump’s campaign is being very specific about what’s not allowed. “Language and tactics we ask for candidates and committees to avoid while using President
Trump's name, image, and likeness are:
● Speaking on behalf of President Trump.
○ An example of this would be saying, “President Trump needs you.” Only President Trump and authorized personnel on his campaign are allowed to speak on his behalf or any other views he might personally hold.
● Questioning the readers' support of President Trump or tying their support to a financial contribution.
○ An example of this would be "If you support President Trump, you'll contribute now."
● Creating memberships, clubs, or rewards that are not authorized by the campaign.
○ An example of this would be a “Trump Gold Club.”
● Using "matching" language or implying the readers' donation has a larger impact than its face value in conjunction with President Trump's name, image, and likeness.
○ President Trump's campaign and the RNC do not use this tactic, and we're asking all campaigns to avoid this type of language when President Trump is mentioned, or his image is used.
● Using a “reply to donate” or “one-click donation” features when mentioning President Trump.
● Any mention of the President's family without their consent or the consent of the campaign.
● Impersonating President Trump or his campaign.
○ This includes mimicking the President's logo, using subject lines that make it appear the sender is President Trump or his campaign, or egregiously copying the language or style from President Trump's fundraising solicitations.
These examples above are by no means an exhaustive list of language and tactics we'd like forcampaigns to avoid. We ask that you please use your best judgment.
I spoke with one Republican House staffer who was peeved but not surprised. She said that Trump should be giving congressional candidates funds not taking money from them. She noted that he has dozens of members— including her own boss— in trouble because of the way he’s handled abortion. “We’re going to lose at least 10 seats because of that,” she told me in confidence. “He should be writing checks for endangered candidates who have to fight back against that now.”
In fact, that may have just gotten worse— especially for Dave Schweikert and Juan Ciscomani, two Arizona anti-Choice Republicans in districts Biden won. Yesterday, Elizabeth Dias and Kellen Browning reported Arizona Republican legislators “scuttled another effort to repeal the state’s 1864 law banning abortion, defying pressure from prominent Republicans, including Trump, who had urged them to toss the ban that many voters viewed as extreme and archaic. ‘The last thing we should be doing today is rushing a bill through the legislative process to repeal a law that has been enacted and reaffirmed by the Legislature several times,’ House Speaker Ben Toma, a Republican, said as he blocked an effort to vote on the repeal… On Wednesday, it initially appeared as though their cajoling might pay off. Democrats signaled that they were optimistic of having enough Republican support to secure a majority and send the repeal bill to the State Senate. But when State Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, a Democrat, rose to bring forward her repeal bill, Republicans successfully prevented the vote on procedural grounds.”
And speaking of campaign funds, Ally Mutnick reported yesterday that a McCarthy-funded PAC, the American Prosperity Alliance, is spending money attacking 3 Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy, Bob Good (R-VA), Eli Crane (R-AZ) and Nancy Mace (R-SC). The ads are vicious— and say nothing about McCarthy. This is the one they’re running against Crane. It’s the kind of ad Republicans are using against Democrats: “The country is being invaded. This is a war. The Sinaloa cartel supplies most of the fentanyl in the US yet. Eli Crane voted against funding our border security, opposed billions for ICE, opposed funding for the wall, opposed thousands of new border agents. Eli Crane voted against all of it. Now Congress will begin debating new funding to secure our border. So call Eli Crane, tell him to stop voting against border security.”
Good has a primary challenge from state Sen. John McGuire in his Virginia district. In South Carolina, Mace will go up against Catherine Templeton, a former gubernatorial candidate. And Crane, the lone freshman to vote against McCarthy, will face former Yavapai County Supervisor Jack Smith in Arizona. All three have been elected with significant support from groups that McCarthy helped fund, including the Congressional Leadership Fund and the House GOP campaign arm.
This is likely an opening salvo for McCarthy allies. The seven-figure buy will run in 12 districts total, but only some will see TV advertising and other will get only digital ads. The full list includes seats held by Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Tim Burchett (R-TN)— all of whom also voted out McCarthy— and Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Jared Golden (D-Maine), Gabe Vasquez (D-NM), Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA).
So far in the second half of April, the American Prosperity Alliance has spent nearly $330,000 against Mace, nearly $160,000 against Good, roughly $218,000 against Crane and $150,000 against Kaptur, according to data from AdImpact.