Trump fundraising pitch features U.S. soldiers killed in Iran war

President Donald Trump’s political action committee this week sent a fundraising email promising donors “private national security briefings” by the president himself and featuring a photo from the dignified transfer for U.S. service members killed in Kuwait.

“For the first time ever, I’m opening up spots on the National Security Briefing Membership,” reads the email, from Trump’s Never Surrender Inc. PAC.

“As a National Security Briefing Member, you’ll receive my private national security briefings, unfiltered updates on the threats facing America. The straight truth on border invasions, foreign adversaries, deep state sabotage, and every danger the fake news hides,” it continues. “You’ll get the inside scoop DIRECT from me, President Trump, the leader who’s rebuilt the greatest military in history, and put America First like no one else.”

The email includes a black-and-white version of an official photo taken by the White House showing the president in a white “USA” baseball cap saluting a transfer case during the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on March 7.

Several links in the email lead to a donation page. 

The White House and the Pentagon did not respond to MS NOW’s request for comment on the fundraising email pegged to the Iran war and what the offers of “national security briefings” would entail.

Trump is not the first political figure to make offers of special access to big donors, Daniel Weiner, director of the elections and government program at the Brennan Center for Justice, noted in an interview with MS NOW. 

“In this instance, obviously it would be a blatant violation of the law to disclose any sort of classified information or secret information to donors. But assuming that they’re not actually doing that, it’s hard to see that there’s anything illegal about any of this,” Weiner said.

But the use of a photo from the dignified transfer of U.S. troops who died in the line of duty to raise funds is notable.

“To have that imagery used for partisan advertising and fundraising, that’s a bridge, you know, a new bridge that we’re crossing,” Weiner said. “But it’s more of a question of norms.”