President Donald Trump’s political action committee sent a fundraising email this week that promised donors a “private national security briefing” from the president and included a photo of an honorable transfer for U.S. service members killed in Kuwait.
“For the first time, I am opening up spots on the national security briefing membership,” the email from Trump’s Never Surrender Inc. PAC reads.
“As a National Security Briefing member, you will receive my personal National Security Briefing, unfiltered updates on the threats facing America. The straight truth on every threat from border invasions, foreign adversaries, deep state subversion, and those hidden by fake news,” it continues. “You’ll get the inside scoop straight from me, President Trump, the leader who has rebuilt the greatest military in history, and put America first like no other.”
The email includes a black-and-white version of official photo A photo taken by the White House shows the president saluting a transfer case in a white “USA” baseball cap during a dignified transfer to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on March 7.
Multiple links in email lead to one donation page.
The White House and the Pentagon did not respond to MS Now’s request for comment on the Iran war-related fundraising emails and what “national security briefings” would be offered.
Daniel Weiner, director of the elections and government program at the Brennan Center for Justice, said in an interview with MS Now that Trump is not the first political figure to offer special access to big donors.
Weiner said, “In this example, obviously it would be a blatant violation of the law for donors to disclose any kind of classified information or secret information. But assuming they’re not actually doing that, it’s hard to see that there’s anything illegal about it.”
But the use of the image of the honorable transfer of American soldiers killed in the line of duty to raise funds is noteworthy.
“Using that imagery for partisan advertising and fundraising, that’s a bridge, you know, a new bridge that we’re crossing,” Weiner said. “But it’s a question of norms.”