Rashi Mehta
In the wake of Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, Donald Trump has redirected his campaign attacks towards Vice-President Kamala Harris, reviving his nickname for her: “Laffin’ Kamala Harris.” However, Trump now faces scrutiny over past financial contributions he made to Harris’s political campaigns.
Trump’s Donations to Harris Resurface
Within hours of Biden’s historic decision, Trump’s previous donations to Harris quickly resurfaced on social media. Jared Moskowitz, a Democratic congressman from Florida, posted a photo of a check dated September 26, 2011, for $5,000, signed by Trump and made payable to “Attorney General Kamala D. Harris.” Moskowitz captioned the photo with: “Was a wise investment.”
Michael Steele, former chair of the Republican National Committee, also commented, “When Trump wrote that check to re-elect Kamala Harris in 2011, I bet he didn’t think she’d cash it in 2024!”
A History of Contributions
Records from the California secretary of state reveal that the $5,000 donation was not the only contribution from the Trump family to Harris. In February 2013, Trump donated another $1,000 to Harris at the start of her re-election campaign as California’s attorney general. Additionally, Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, contributed $2,000 to Harris’s re-election committee in June 2014.
In total, $8,000 in donations from Trump and his family went to Harris’s political campaigns. These contributions could potentially haunt Trump on the campaign trail, much like they did during the 2020 presidential campaign when Harris was Biden’s running mate.
The Backstory Behind the Donations
Fox News uncovered details about how the $5,000 donation came to be during the 2020 campaign. According to court documents, Trump made the payment at the request of Eric Schneiderman, New York’s then top prosecutor, who hosted a fundraiser for Harris in September 2011. Trump purchased a ticket for the event at the top price of $5,000, with Ivanka attending.
Trump has maintained that his favor for Schneiderman, who was later disgraced following accusations of physical abuse by several women, had no connection to the investigation that was ongoing into Trump University at that time.
Harris’s Response to the Donations
Contrary to Steele’s quip, Harris cannot use the $5,000 donation for her 2024 presidential campaign if she secures the Democratic nomination. The Sacramento Bee reported in 2020 that Harris had given away the entire $6,000 she received from Trump as she began her run for the US Senate. She donated the money to a civil rights non-profit working in Central America.
As Trump’s campaign refocuses its attacks on Harris, the resurfacing of these donations underscores the complex and sometimes contradictory nature of political alliances and rivalries. The $8,000 from Trump may serve as a point of contention as the 2024 presidential race heats up, reminding voters and politicians alike of the intricate web of past political favors and contributions.
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