Trump Now Selling Access for Millions

Former President Donald Trump is facing renewed scrutiny over escalating fees for access, with critics alleging a significant increase in “pay-to-play” practices since regaining office. Reports indicate a dramatic rise in the cost of meeting with Trump, moving beyond traditional fundraising norms and raising concerns about the potential for undue influence.

Recent reporting by The New Yorker details how access to the former President has become increasingly commodified. A previously expensive seat at a group dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, costing a million-dollar contribution to the MAGA Inc. super PAC, has been eclipsed by the now-available option of a one-on-one conversation with the former President for a reported five million dollars.

This escalation follows a controversial “private VIP reception” offered to the top 220 purchasers of the $TRUMP meme coin, an event that reportedly generated hundreds of millions of dollars for Trump. A government affairs executive quoted in The New Yorker expressed surprise at the new pricing structure, highlighting the lack of guaranteed benefit for such substantial contributions and questioning the ultimate destination of the funds. Another lobbying veteran bluntly compared the exchanges to “outer-borough Mafia sh–.”

The report underscores a perceived inability of the political system to keep pace with the influx of money surrounding Trump. Comparisons have been drawn to a previously offered $400 million gift from the government of Qatar – a lavish airplane dubbed the “palace in the sky” – which a former White House communications director labeled the “most brazenly corrupt move” in U.S. history.

Despite these accusations, supporters continue to defend Trump’s actions, framing them as transparent. However, the New Yorker report concludes that the surge of money surrounding the White House has overwhelmed existing safeguards against corruption in both law and culture.

This situation is deeply troubling. While fundraising is inherent in political campaigns, the reported price points for access to the former President represent a clear departure from established norms and raise legitimate concerns about the potential for wealthy individuals and entities to exert undue influence on policy decisions. The erosion of safeguards against corruption, as described in the report, is a serious threat to the integrity of the American political system and warrants further investigation and public debate. The normalization of such practices risks undermining public trust and creating a system where access, rather than merit or the public good, dictates outcomes.