The many lawsuits are turning into a fiscal calamity for Donald Trump. And now there are fears that the White House candidate could mistake the Republican Party as a kind of piggy bank.
Trump’s Justice Fund is said to be likely running out of money in early summer. The legal costs of the multiple Trump lawsuits are exorbitant, with $51.2 million spent last year alone. This year will be even more expensive after up to four criminal trials could start (the first begins in Manhattan on March 25 for hush money payments to a porn star) and appeals against two New York civil judgments are underway.
On Friday, Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump to pay a mega fine of $364 million for fraud at the Trump Organization real estate company; with interest, this amounts to over $400 million. He must also pay $87 million to abuse victim E. Jean Carroll following a separate defamation trial.
The fact that Trump could be eyeing the money from the Republican National Committee (RNC) is already triggering a heated debate. The future role of daughter-in-law Lara Trump as co-chair of the Republican leadership is also being discussed in this context. The wife of Trump’s son Eric could be elevated to this leadership role after the primaries in South Carolina on Saturday (Nikki Haley is Trump’s last remaining rival there).
After all, the ex-president, who is once again almost omnipotent in the party, is pulling the strings.
Trump supporters have even launched fundraising campaigns because of the millions in fines. One campaign via GoFundMe has set a collection target of $355 million. By Monday morning, more than $446,000 had been raised.
Ordinary citizens are donating here to the financially threatened multi-billionaire, who is still listed by “Forbes” as having a fortune of 2.6 billion dollars.
Speaking of Trump fans… Angry truck drivers now want to boycott the Big Apple over the two New York verdicts: Truck driver Chicago Ray posted a video in which he claims he and many of his colleagues are refusing to pick up or deliver loads from New York City.
Trump – and this seems no surprise – supported the protest action. He praised the furious “Trumpie” truck drivers as “great patriots”.
