This archive report was first published on 9 August 2019.
Published on August 9, 2019, a joint fund-raising committee led by the Republican National Committee, Trump Victory Fund, has been at the center of controversy. The committee's donors, including Mr. Herricks from San Antonio, who donated $15,000 to the fund and $2,800 to Trump's campaign, have found themselves in the public eye.
Legal scholars argue that economic boycotts are protected by the First Amendment, but some are concerned that publicly naming donors could lead to harassment.
“If we see that people whose donations are highlighted publicly are being harassed, that’s a reason to be concerned,” said Mr. Hasen. “If the concern is someone will have a nasty tweet sent to them because of them being named by Castro, well, welcome to the real world.”
Others, like Fred Wertheimer, founder and president of Democracy 21, believe that naming donors without ties to specific policy issues is not helpful in today's social media age.
Despite the scrutiny, some Trump donors remain committed to supporting the president. Bill White, a former president of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York, said, “The more they do this stuff, the more it’s going to backfire. More people are putting out their chests, standing up straight, saying: ‘I’m in. To hell with you publicizing my name.’”
White plans to attend a $2,800-per-person Trump Victory event in the Hamptons, where he will rub shoulders with high-profile guests, including Ronna McDaniel, Donald Trump Jr., and Kimberly Guilfoyle.
