It was supposed to be a taxpayer-funded presidential event, but Donald Trump turned it into an illegal campaign rally.
Trump told unions to support him or else:
Trump tells union workers that if their union leaders don't support Trump, workers should "vote 'em the hell out of office, because they're not doing their job."
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 13, 2019
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Trump joked about calling off the 2020 election and serving a third term:
Trump is joking about calling off the 2020 election and serving a 3rd term during a speech to energy workers in PA that is not supposed to be a campaign event pic.twitter.com/EI9jZA1HaO
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 13, 2019
Trump even used his campaign rally music for his presidential introduction:
The president entering the PA speech which is an official event, not campaign, but this has utilized his full rally music soundtrack making it hard to distinguish from a campaign rally except the taxpayers pay the related expenses.
— Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) August 13, 2019
The White House billed the event as discussing American energy and manufacturing, but the fact that the White House used Trump’s rally music is evidence that they never intended to follow the law. It is illegal for presidents to use taxpayer resources for campaign events. The event that Trump held in Beaver County, PA was a campaign rally. It was against the law, and Trump should reimburse the taxpayers for his misuse of government resources.
The presidency is not Trump’s personal slush fund for his presidential campaign, and he is prohibited by law from using the office as his personal campaign platform.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
