Not a single Republican in Congress has endorsed Donald Trump, but they aren’t above trying to raise money off of his name, with Senate Republicans’ campaign committee issuing a plea for cash Thursday under the billionaire businessman’s name.
In an email, the National Republican Senatorial Committee asks Mr. Trump’s supporters in the presidential race to sign an online card congratulating him on his second-place showing in Iowa, then the card asks those supporters to give to Senate Republicans themselves.
The NRSC is even selling an “I’m with Trump!” Trump bumper sticker for a minimum donation of $3.
“Show your support for Donald Trump and our Republican Senate majority with your ’I’m with Trump’ sticker today!” the committee says, asking for donations up to the maximum of $33,400.
The NRSC has been raising money off of Mr. Trump for months, despite many of the committee’s own members — the 54 Republicans in the U.S. Senate — being critical of the businessman.
Sen. Ben Sasse, a first-term Republican senator, even campaigned across Iowa for several Republican candidates last month specifically asking voters not to support Mr. Trump.
The committee’s highlighting of Mr. Trump is all the more striking because two of its own — Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio — are running against him in the presidential race.
Mr. Cruz won the Iowa caucuses and Mr. Rubio placed third.
Andrea Bozek, a spokeswoman for the NRSC, bristled at questions about the fundraising.
“It’s sad that you can’t even say congratulations in Washington anymore without being criticized,” she said in an email.
She did not respond to questions about what other candidates the committee has used to raise money, though press reports identified retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Mr. Cruz as the objects of previous efforts.
But in raising money off of Mr. Trump, the committee is actually helping those such as Mr. Sasse and Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican who regularly tussled with Mr. Trump during the campaign. Mr. Paul dropped out of the presidential race on Wednesday and is now seeking re-election to his Senate seat.
The NRSC raised $40.8 million last year, which was less than the $62.4 million the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised. But the NRSC had spent at a far more frugal pace, and had $11.7 million cash on hand, and no debt. The DSCC had $10.8 million in cash, but $8.4 million in debts.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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