After Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race and endorsed Kamala Harris, she publicly stated her commitment to securing the Democratic nomination. In the wake of these developments, rumors have emerged suggesting that Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump made donations to Harris’ re-election campaign while she was serving as California’s attorney general. With these claims circulating widely, many are questioning their validity.
Here’s everything you need to know about whether Donald Trump donated to Kamala Harris’ campaign.
Did Donald Trump donate to Kamala Harris’ campaign?
Yes, Donald Trump has previously donated to Kamala Harris’ campaign.
Before Donald Trump became president, he made two donations to Kamala Harris’s campaign while she served as California Attorney General, as reported by USA Today. Records indicate that Trump contributed a total of $6,000 in 2011 and 2013. In addition, Ivanka Trump donated $2,000 to Harris’s campaign in 2014.
The news of these donations initially started to make rounds in 2020. It gained renewed attention on social media following Harris’s announcement that she intends to secure the Democratic nomination for the presidential election. Reports from USA Today confirm that Trump’s donations in 2011 and 2013 were legitimate.
At the time, Trump’s financial support was scrutinized by Harris’s Democratic opponent, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, who questioned whether the donations influenced the state’s investigation into Trump University. However, according to The Telegraph, earlier a spokesperson for Joe Biden’s campaign clarified that Harris did not seek donations from Trump or his family, and these contributions had no bearing on her office’s handling of the Trump University case. In 2015, Harris redistributed these funds to a nonprofit organization dedicated to Central American civil rights.
During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump commented on his history of donations. According to USA Today, he said, “It’s interesting: I was looking at the ones I’m running against. I’ve contributed to most of them. Can you believe it? I’ve given to Democrats. I’ve given to Hillary. I’ve given to everybody! Because that was my job. I gotta give to them. Because when I want something, I get it. When I call, they kiss my [expletive].” Trump’s campaign has previously highlighted these donations as evidence against accusations of racism.