4-11-2021
GOP donors privately pan Trump’s ‘horrible’ RNC speech.
DRIVING THE DAY
A slew of well-heeled Republican National Committee donors descended on Palm Beach this weekend, excited to be schmoozed, eager for access to
DONALD TRUMP and other potential 2024 nominees, but mostly interested in hearing how far their dollars would go toward winning back the Congress and White House.
Trump’s speech didn’t do any of that.
“It was horrible, it was long and negative,” one attendee with a donor in the room tells Playbook.
“It was dour. He didn’t talk about the positive things that his administration has done.”
Instead, Trump used the final night of the retreat to talk about himself, his grievances and how he plans to enact retribution against those who voted to impeach him — which runs counter to the donors’ main objective of making sure their dollars go toward winning overall.
Trump’s biggest applause line, according to sources in the room, was when he said the GOP would win back the House 2022 and the presidency in 2024.
He lavished praise on Florida Gov. RON DESANTIS, South Dakota Gov. KRISTI NOEM, and Wisconsin Sen. RON JOHNSON. But when he was harshly critical of people like former VP MIKE PENCE and Senate Republican Leader MITCH MCCONNELL, few people applauded.
Many major donors have been fed up with Trump’s antics since Jan. 6. While Trump was speaking, we spotted at least two — both of whom received prominent appointments during his administration — out dining with friends at a local restaurant in Palm Beach rather than sitting through the former president’s dinner at Mar-a-Lago.
As Playbook and the New York Times have reported, Trump has become a complication for donors. They don’t want their money going toward his retribution efforts. Remember:
These are exorbitantly wealthy people — some with egos as big as Trump’s — and they are not interested in hearing about how another rich guy had his ego bruised.
The fact that they even had to shuttle from the Four Seasons resort where the retreat was being held to Mar-a-Lago for Trump’s speech was enough of a sign of fealty to Trump, donors told us.
WHAT TRUMP SAID —
Pretty much what we all have come to expect:
— Lots of name-calling:
McConnell was a “dumb son of a bitch” and “stone cold loser” for not falling in line with Trump’s argument that he won the election. He knocked Georgia Gov. BRAIN KEMP for failing to find votes to make him president again. And of ANTHONY FAUCI, he asked, “Have you ever seen anybody that is so full of crap?” per WaPo’s Josh Dawsey.
— More election conspiracies;
According to NYT’s Shane Goldmacher, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Martin — this time something about Facebook spending half a billion on some sort of “lockbox” marking votes? Who can follow this stuff anymore?!
— Trump also called President JOE BIDEN, “Saintly Joe Biden” — and my goodness, just reading these stories, you see for the umpteenth time the almost dizzying difference between the 45th and 46th presidents …
— ALEX ISENSTADT has more here, including a nugget that Trump also went after McConnell’s wife, former Transportation Secretary ELAINE CHAO, for resigning her cabinet post after the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Notably, Trump allowed DeSantis to share the stage with him. While Trump used his speech to share with donors that he was “disappointed” in Pence, he has privately told advisers that if he runs again, he wants DeSantis as his running mate.
Also spotted out during Trump’s speech at Mar-a-Lago:
RUDY GIULIANI having dinner at Café L’Europe in Palm Beach. Giuliani told Playbook he spent time with Trump on Friday, and that the former president was finally over his 2020 loss and was ready to move forward. Giuliani said he was in town to work on his book, and that he’s spoken with Trump many times since the election but just doesn’t “publicize it.”
THE NO SHOWS —
Per Shane Goldmacher, MIKE POMPEO had been skedded to speak Saturday night but didn’t show. Kyle Mazza said neither did Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-Ga.). Someone announced her father was ill and given “only 24 hours to live.”
MEANWHILE …
“Ohio Senate candidate Josh Mandel escorted out of RNC retreat,” Axios: “Despite not having his name on the list [for an invitation-only donor soiree], Mandel seized on the opportunity to get some face time with top Republican donors while they all were in one place, one source familiar with his plans told Axios.”
TWEET OF THE DAY AT THE RNC — CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan interviewing an RNC guest, who asks:
“What is so terrible about conspiracy theories anyway?”
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