On Monday, Donald Trump surprised his supporters with what initially seemed to be a declaration of the discontinuation of his reelection campaign. However, it turned out to be an April Fools’ fundraising stunt.
In his bid to unseat his Democratic rival Joe Biden from the White House in the November election, the former Republican president sent out an abrupt message to supporters via email and text, stating that he was suspending his campaign. It came along with a hyperlink.
However, upon following the link, recipients were redirected to a webpage urging them to make monetary contributions to his campaign.
“Did you really think I’d suspend my campaign? Happy April Fools Day!” he wrote in capital letters.
The Biden team quickly clapped back with a jibe at Trump’s allegedly lazy schedule.
“Trump hasn’t campaigned in 16 days. So not sure what the difference is,” said Biden campaign staffer Ammar Moussa.
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Throughout the years, aspirants in US politics have wooed small-scale contributors, overwhelming advocates with a deluge of text messages, electronic mails, and phone conversations — sometimes surpassing a dozen in a single day — imploring them to financially back their aspirations.
This approach can yield millions of dollars, serving as a vital cash infusion in a nation where mounting a presidential campaign can easily require billions of dollars.
However, the onslaught of appeals pushes candidates to become more inventive in order to capture attention amidst the clamor.
Trump regularly highlights his legal problems, alleging that the Biden administration is out to imprison him, though he fails to provide any evidence for his allegations.
At present, the Biden campaign maintains a lead in the fundraising competition — a position it relishes, exemplified by its reference to Trump, known for his penchant for derogatory monikers, as “Broke Don.”