Donald Trump Just Seriously Burned a Top Tea Party Group

The just-announced GOP candidate says Club For Growth hates him because he wouldn’t pony up a million bucks.

(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


The Club For Growth was hardly the only conservative outfit complaining about Donald Trump’s bid for the GOP nomination yesterday. But the real estate mogul hit back hard at the group on Tuesday, accusing Club for Growth of bashing him because he refused its donation request.

Following his announcement yesterday, Trump was lashed from all sides over everything from his bizarre escalator entrance to his choice of music, but Club For Growth didn’t mince words in its statement about Trump’s entrance to the 2016 race:

The Club for Growth has issued very substantive and detailed white papers on the records of the major announced Republican candidates for president. There is no need to do a white paper on Donald Trump. He is not a serious Republican candidate, and many of his positions make him better suited to take on Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary. It would also be unfortunate if he takes away a spot at even one Republican debate.

Appearing on Bloomberg’s With All Due Respect television program today, Trump fought back. According to Trump, the Club is just mad that he didn’t pony up the $1 million the group asked for.

And Trump can prove that the club approached him for a seven-figure contribution. After his interview, he released a copy of the letter asking for $1 million to Bloomberg.

Trump claims he was surprised by the appeal and declined to donate. “I was shocked by the amount of money we’re talking about,” he told Bloomberg.

This is how change happens.

One story at a time.

This investigative reporting takes time too. Months of research. Weeks of writing, editing, and fact checking—and putting together the photography, art, video, and audio that tell the stories in a new way, illuminating new perspectives and voices.

We can afford to take our time because we don’t report to oligarchs or corporations. We report to you, and for you.

And the stakes are high. Democracy is on the defense. We’ve been exposing corruption and scandal for five decades, and this is a pivotal moment in our country’s history. Will democracy prevail? We won’t wait for time to tell—independent journalism is essential for democracy, and we’ll keep doing our part to amplify the free press.

So, we’re asking: Will you join the fight? Mother Jones has been here for 50 years, and we need your support to fuel the future of investigative journalism. Mark our 50th anniversary with a gift of any amount.

This is how change happens.

One story at a time.

This investigative reporting takes time too. Months of research. Weeks of writing, editing, and fact checking—and putting together the photography, art, video, and audio that tell the stories in a new way, illuminating new perspectives and voices.

We can afford to take our time because we don’t report to oligarchs or corporations. We report to you, and for you.

And the stakes are high. Democracy is on the defense. We’ve been exposing corruption and scandal for five decades, and this is a pivotal moment in our country’s history. Will democracy prevail? We won’t wait for time to tell—independent journalism is essential for democracy, and we’ll keep doing our part to amplify the free press.

So, we’re asking: Will you join the fight? Mother Jones has been here for 50 years, and we need your support to fuel the future of investigative journalism. Mark our 50th anniversary with a gift of any amount.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

INDEPENDENT. BECAUSE OF YOU.

Mother Jones has no billionaires calling the shots—just readers like you making fearless reporting possible

Donate