Trump Supporters Start GoFundMe Page for $355M Fine

Supporters of former President Donald Trump have launched a GoFundMe page to pay the approximately $355 million that the billionaire ex-president was fined at the conclusion of his New York civil fraud trial.

New York State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron on Friday ordered Trump and his companies to pay the state $354,868,768—plus interest that pushes the penalty to $450 million—after finding the former president liable for fraudulently manipulating the value of assets on financial statements.

Following the verdict, Trump lashed out at Engoron as "crooked" and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who filed the lawsuit in 2022, as "totally corrupt." He claimed that the decision was "election interference" and vowed to file an appeal.

Elena Cardone, the wife of real estate investor and influencer Grant Cardone, announced a short time later on X, formerly Twitter, that she had started a GoFundMe page to foot the bill. According to Forbes, Trump had a net worth of about $2.6 billion as of September.

The page, titled "Stand with Trump; Fund the $355M Unjust Judgment," had raised over $18,000 of the $355 million about five hours after it was launched. More than 400 donors contributed between $5 and $1,500 each.

Newsweek reached out for comment to Trump's office via email on Friday night.

Cardone, who described herself as "an ardent supporter of American values and an advocate for justice," said on the page that the fundraiser was intended to allow "patriots" who "stand with Trump" to "show our collective strength and resolve."

"This is more than a legal fund; it's a clarion call to all patriots to rally in defense of a man who has never hesitated to stand in defense of us," she wrote. "It's about showing that when one of us is targeted for championing the values that make America great, he does not stand alone."

Grant Cardone wrote on X that donors would be "standing together against unjust rulings like this where a bias judges [sic] & corrupt legal system is out of control."

Far-right Trump supporter and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer responded to Cardone by arguing that the fundraiser should have been hosted by self-described "Christian crowdfunding" site GiveSendGo instead.

"Go Fund Me is anti Trump and liberal," Loomer wrote. "You should have used @GiveSendGo @GrantCardone. Go Fund Me is notorious for banning conservative campaigns. I have been banned from GoFundMe since 2018."

Many others on X reacted to the page by mocking it and those who donated, while questioning why a billionaire would need crowdfunding help to pay the fine.

"They have a GoFundMe account now for Trump," @lisa_liberal posted. "Who Forbes claims is worth $2.6B, but don't you dare call it a cult."

"Wait... Wut.. Donald Trump, a supposed billionaire business man has a GoFundMe page??" posted @lflorepolitics. "The only thing more pathetic than this are his cult members who will actually help fund him by sending him money. Sad!"

"Let me get this straight, someone started a GoFundMe for the over $300 million that Trump owes, and people have actually contributed to it?" @BlueOC1981 wrote. "My god, the MAGAs are truly some of the dumbest people on this planet."

Journalist Yashar Ali called the Cardones "militant Scientologists" in a post on the fundraiser, claiming that the couple had "donated over $30 million to Scientology" that was used "to fund the harassment and surveillance of people like Leah Remini and me."

"Trump told us he was a billionaire," writer Victoria Brownworth posted. "Why does he need a GoFundMe from Scientologists?"

Others responded by suggesting that the page violates a stipulation of GoFundMe's terms of service that prohibits the fundraising for "the legal defense of alleged financial and violent crimes." However, Trump's penalty occurred in civil court and did not constitute a crime.

"This is a violation of GoFundMe' TOS," posted @BagdMilkSoWhat. "I encourage everyone to report this."

"Hey @gofundme, should we check your terms of service for a violation here???" @GSanseviero wrote.

Jalen Drummond, the director of public affairs at GoFundMe, confirmed to Newsweek via email on Saturday that the fundraiser is "currently within our terms of service."

Trump was also banned from doing business in New York for three years in Friday's ruling. His adult sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump were both banned for two years and ordered to pay over $4 million each.

James celebrated the ex-president's penalty in a statement shortly after the verdict was announced, calling it "a major win for everyone who believes that we must all play by the same rules."

"For years, Donald Trump engaged in massive fraud to unjustly enrich himself, his family, and his organization," James said. "He may have authored The Art of the Deal, but he perfected the art of the steal. Now, he is finally facing the consequences of his illegal actions."

Trump lawyer Alina Habba said in a statement emailed to Newsweek that the verdict was "a manifest injustice—plain and simple," calling it "the culmination of a multi-year, politically fueled witch hunt" and warning that it may "serve as a signal to every single American that New York is no longer open for business."

Update 2/17/24, 5:47 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Drummond.