Trump pledged pro-oil policy to CEOs, asked for $1B

Donald Trump talks on a cellphone at Miami F1 race

"What Trump was offering is entirely legal and absolutely corrupt"

(Image credit: Clive Mason / Getty Images)

published 10 May 2024

What happened

Former President Donald Trump told top oil executives and lobbyists at an April 11 Mar-a-Lago dinner they should collectively donate $1 billion to his election campaign, saying it would be a "deal" because he would immediately reverse President Joe Biden's environmental and pro–electric vehicle regulations, The Washington Post and other news organizations reported Thursday. The oil industry has been "drawing up ready-to-sign executive orders" for Trump, Politico said Wednesday.

"Trump is selling out working families to Big Oil for campaign checks," Biden campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa said. "Trump's 'drill, baby, drill' philosophy aligns much better with the oil patch than Biden’s green-energy approach," oil executive and Trump donor Dan Eberhart told the Post. "It's a no-brainer."

"What Trump was offering is entirely legal and absolutely corrupt," David Graham said at The Atlantic. Maybe "American politics would be healthier if all politicians were so transparent" about such "transactionalism."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.