President Donald Trump’s political action committee sent a fundraising email this week promising donors a “private national security briefing” from the president himself and featuring photos of the dignified transfer for U.S. service members killed in Kuwait.
“For the first time in history, we are expanding membership in the National Security Briefing,” said an email from President Trump’s Never Surrender PAC.
“As a member of National Security Briefing, you will receive my private National Security Briefing, the latest unfiltered information on the threats facing America. The honest truth about border incursions, foreign adversaries, deep state sabotage, and all the dangers that fake news hides.” “Get the inside scoop straight from President Trump, the leader who built the greatest military in history and puts America First like no other.”
The email includes a black-and-white version of an official White House photo taken of the president wearing a white “USA” baseball cap and saluting during his dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on March 7.
Some links in the email will lead to a donation page.
The White House and the Pentagon did not respond to MS NOW’s requests for comment about the content of fundraising emails and “national security briefings” related to the Iran war.
Daniel Weiner, director of elections and government programs at the Brennan Center for Justice, said in an interview with MS NOW that Trump is not the first politician to provide special access to major donors.
“In this case, it would be a clear violation of the law to disclose any kind of sensitive or confidential information to the donor, but assuming the donor is not actually doing this, it is unlikely that there is anything illegal about any of this,” Weiner said.
However, it is worth noting that the photo taken during the dignified transport of a dead American soldier was used in a fundraising campaign.
“The fact that that image is being used in partisan advertising and fundraising is, you know, another bridge that we’re trying to cross,” Weiner said. “But it’s more of a matter of norms.”
