Trump is courting potential 2020 mega-donors in a way that is 'very methodical and clever'

Trump talks about donations at Trump Tower in May 2016.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

President Donald Trump built his 2016 campaign on the promise to his supporters that he would not be beholden to special interests because he was "self-funding my own campaign." And while Trump indeed broke small donation records, he is approaching 2020 with a different tack, Politico reports.

Take, for example, Trump's about-face on hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer, who supported Marco Rubio and an anti-Trump PAC during the Republican primary. At the time, Trump slammed Singer as having a "lotta controversy." After winning the election, Singer reportedly donated $5,000 to Trump's transition team and $1 million to his inaugural committee — then asked Trump for a meeting, and got it.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.