Trump is raising money to send fake bricks to Pelosi and Schumer's offices
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President Trump is now fundraising off the ongoing government shutdown in the most Trump-y way imaginable.
The president's team on Friday launched a new website called Build the Border Wall, which calls for his supporters to donate money in exchange for sending a fake brick to the offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). This, the website says, was Trump's very own "brilliant idea," to "make sure Chuck and Nancy have no choice but to listen to the American people."
Trump's 2020 campaign manager told The Wall Street Journal about the idea just minutes before the fundraising call went out. "Since Chuck and Nancy keep stonewalling the president, we'll send the wall to them, brick by brick, until they agree to secure the border," he said.
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Donating $20.20 will send a single foam brick, but there are options to send as many as seven bricks for $140. And yes, supporters can choose whether their brick goes to Pelosi or Schumer. This campaign comes in spite of Trump's recent references to his wall as being made out of steel slats.
As the government shutdown continues, the Journal reports that Trump has been receiving varying advice from his aides, with some urging him to make a deal for less than $5.7 billions in border wall funding, while others are telling him to hold his ground. But as it looks increasingly unlikely that Trump will be able to build the real border wall, he's apparently hoping a fake one will be the next best thing for his supporters.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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