Trump's Emails: The Endless, Shameless Spam Shakedown
"Elon Musk just said your name," writes Donald Trump...should I send him money for the Official Golden Trump Award? Only the smartest Americans need apply.
The election is long over, but the gullibility grinds on. The Trump organization keeps churning out the fundraising emails, teasing out one ridiculous yarn after another.
One hundred days into Trump's term and I'm still getting his email solicitations for donations. The emails include bogus claims, appeals to vanity, invitations for contests with questionable prizes, and, of course, ubiquitous offers for MAGA merchandise.
In January, I received one of the most ridiculous emails I've received from the Trump camp. "Elon Musk just said your name," it began. "We were chatting about you at Mar-a-Lago, and we want to say a HUGE THANK YOU!"
Unfortunately, the gratitude got lost in translation: All of these emails are addressed to a woman named Eileen. After Elon Musk's endorsement, Trump wrote: "I love Elon Musk! … But can I be honest? I LOVE Eileen EVEN MORE!"
I've been getting Eileen's emails for almost five years. They insist that Eileen has always been one of Trump's best supporters. Funny thing, though: My search of the FEC database turned up no Eileen sharing my surname who's donated to Republicans—only multiple women with that name in three different states, all of whom donated to Democratic causes.
This Elon Musk ruse wasn't the first time I'd read this yarn. Many in the Trump orbit—particularly his children—have written me to say, "Me and the President were just talking about you. Why haven't you responded?"
Like so many other Trump solicitations, this email announced a meaningless milestone: "You've Just Been Selected to Receive the Official Golden Trump Award!" To receive the award, of course, I would need to send the billionaire some money.
Trump’s Mind Games
I've received dozens of emails that claim that I am one of the most wonderful patriots. In June 2022, an email from Donald Trump Jr. claimed that I had reached Great MAGA King status! I'd been crowned for being one of Trump's "most reliable and dedicated supporters". I'd never lifted a finger. Donald Jr. added, "This is EPIC".
It certainly was. We weren't always on such good terms.
Two years before, in June 2020, the Trump campaign wasn't happy with me. Eric Trump had written to let me know. "Where have you been?" he said. "Each day my father sees an updated donor list and EACH DAY he notices that you STILL haven't contributed." If I would just donate in the NEXT HOUR, I would automatically reach VIP status in the Trump VIP Club. Time was critical. I had to join within the hour. "After that, you will permanently forfeit your potential status as a Trump VIP." Serious emotional blackmail.
The next day, June 25, Eric Trump wrote me again. I was surprised that despite the President's displeasure the day before, "My father wants to meet YOU." Why wouldn't he? "You've always been one of his most loyal supporters, so he was a little disappointed to find out you hadn't entered yet to win this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity". There were less than a hundred spots left. I had until midnight. Then, the next patriot would get my spot.
The very next day, the Trump campaign got worried about me. "Is everything OK?" they began. This was, after all, a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," so it was inexplicable that I hadn't responded to previous emails. "President Trump asked us if you were available to meet him at an upcoming event but we told him we hadn't heard from you yet." This was shocking to them, of course. "You've always been one of our BEST supporters, and NOT entering just isn't like you." My gosh, they knew me so well, they even underlined this last sentence—which isn't like them, at all. Usually it's just the ubiquitous ALL CAPS emphasis, like grade schoolers.
On June 28, Lara Trump wrote to say "your name is MISSING" from the donor list. On the same day, Mike Pence reached out to say, "President Trump asked me personally to reach out to you". This was so important that a 400% match on all contributions was offered—but only until midnight.
On June 29, Donald Trump began one his emails with, "Did I make a mistake in trusting you?" The donation deadline was TOMORROW, of course, and a 600% match was now being offered. (How do they come up with so much matching money?). Trump was trying to shame me. I was thoroughly disgusted.
The Money—It Multiplies!
In email after email, I was solicited to donate now because they were offering—for a very limited time!—400%, 600% or even 700% matching. On the eve of the 2020 election, Sarah Huckabee Sanders offered 1,000% matching! Can you believe it? If they can afford to pitch in seven to ten times what I'm sending, why do they even need my money?
Still, President Trump wanted to meet me. He wanted to give "his TOP supporters, like YOU, a guaranteed opportunity" to meet "your favorite President". All I had to do was download a phone app that the president "really wants YOU to have". Of course, the campaign would be sending the president "a list of everyone who downloads the app within the NEXT HOUR. Will he see your name?"
Some days I got six emails in one day from the Trump campaign. I was selected for the Trump 100 Club—you know, people the president "relies on when he needs the advice of the American People".
In July, Eric Trump expressed displeasure that I hadn't donated: "It's going to take EVERY Patriot stepping up if we want to CRUSH Sleepy Joe's dreams of turning America into a BIG GOVERNMENT SOCIALIST Nation". I'd heard similar things from his sister, Lara, who wrote: "Eric and I were having dinner tonight and Eric asked, 'Has Eileen given to Dad this month to help fight for America? My father has been asking about Eileen.'"
I hadn't given. But not to worry. Eric had stepped in for me: "I convinced my father to give you another chance, which is why he's decided to EXTEND your PERSONAL 500%-MATCH OFFER FOR 1 MORE HOUR." It's always a time crunch with the Trumps. And they always let you know they're carrying on an abusive relationship with you and your wallet. "We won't extend your match offer again," they said. "Don't let the President down."
On election day, November 4, 2024, I received not just five emails from the Trump campaign, but an additional 11 emails (some from Trump Jr.) that landed in my spam folder. Three of them were impersonally addressed to "Friend".
Political messaging got even more impersonal a week later when I received a text that began, "Dear Name." This message came from The Union, which was looking for volunteers to help reach pro-democracy voters. One problem: The election had already happened, one week prior.
It’s All About Selling Merch
Over the next six months, the Trump emails kept coming—six per day! It's as if our billionaire president is penniless and still running for office. He's pitching merchandise non-stop: hats, beverage coolers, T-shirts. Go to Trump's website and you'll get a pop-up window—GET YOUR OFFICIAL TRUMP GEAR NOW—SHOP MERCH. In 2022, Trump started selling signed golf balls, claiming himself the best presidential golfer in history. On May 1, I received an offer for gold-colored golf balls—and the chance to win a golf trip to Trump International. "But don't wait," says the email, "this offer EXPIRES at MIDNIGHT TONIGHT!"
Of course, the offer didn't expire. Four days later, clicking on the link still took me to the same winred.com page. Five days after the first midnight deadline, I received the same offer again, which began, "You mean the world to me, so I put my signature on a few TRUMP GOLD GOLF BALLS." The minimum cost to enter to win was $20.25—but only for the gold golf ball contest. No mention of any golf trip.
If there's one thing dear to today's Trumpy Republicans, it's the sanctity of Christmas. In December, a Trump email said: "Make sure to wrap your liberal relatives' gifts in our MAGA Wrapping Paper. Nothing says 'Merry Christmas' like the sight of your patriotic wrapping paper!"
How crass is that? I thought it was the Democrats who were trying to ruin Christmas. And, what scintillating writing: Both plodding sentences have exactly the same number of syllables (twenty) and end with the same two words. It sounds like a sixth grader wrote it.
Trump's website home page prominently displays two buttons: Contribute and Shop. Trump is openly and shamelessly profiting off of the presidency while in office. He shills everything from his cartoon image as an NFT token to stock in his social media company to Gulf of America memorabilia. The merch is endless: Calendars, hats, beanies, glass mugs, coffee cups, T-shirts, bumper stickers and scarfs.
Cheapening Democracy: Talking Dogs and Touch Button Lawfare
Of course, there's plenty of lunacy and crass politicking from the blue side of the aisle, as well. In 2022, the John Fetterman campaign sent me 10 emails with the subject line, "Screw it". If that wasn't classy enough, the man who wore a hooded sweatshirt and baggy shorts to the Capitol, sent one of the most ridiculous political emails of 2022: It was written as if it came from Fetterman's dog, Levi, complete with bad spelling and punctuation: "my jawn has another 'eff ee see' deadline (???) … what do u say—will u chip in some monies to help jawn?" Ouch. How embarrassing. Maybe that's the kind of campaign you need to run when you're up against a TV celebrity quack like Dr. Oz. At his most productive, Fetterman sent me eight emails in one day. He won the election. Maybe Levi tipped the scale.
Other Democrats outdid Fetterman, however. The Warnock for Georgia campaign sent me 22 emails in two days. Democratic campaigns sent emails addressed to three different women's names. Warnock's emails included an annoying video loop. One of the messages said, "I'm sure you get a lot of these requests." No kidding.
They're Still Talking About Me
One of my favorite Trump emails was paid for by the Republican National Committee. It was signed by Sarah Huckabee Sanders. "I just got off the phone with President Trump," she claimed, in June 2020. "The President specifically asked me to check in with you because our End-of-Quarter Deadline is coming up." Funny how Trump only thinks of me when he wants some cash.
Am I really expected to believe that the former press secretary was just talking to Trump about me? Sounds like making America great should involve some work on our citizens' gullibility and a little less renaming of oceans after ourselves. All these vulgar appeals to our vanity and the preying on the abjectly gullible is cheapening our civic duty—and a clear sign that our education system is in crisis.
Cheap takes on political participation undermine our democracy. For example, during the January 6 committee, I received a flood of emails from Democrats about how Merrick Garland had not yet decided whether to have Trump arrested for his role in the riot at the Capitol. But I need not worry because I could help! All I had to do was click the "Demand Trump's Arrest" button and I was sure to convince our attorney general that the court of public opinion was more important than interpreting and enforcing actual law. With one mouse click, I could let him know that arresting the former president was in our country's best interest. Best of all, the message ended with a misspelling: "Trump has never been more scared and embarresed." (You'd think great legal minds could do better in the age of spell check.)
Since the middle of June 2024, I have received nearly 150 emails from the Trump National Committee JFC, all asking for money. The emails—which include a link to donaldjtrump.com—describe the organization as "a joint fundraising committee composed of and authorized by Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc. and the Republican National Committee".
In 2025, the sender's description changed. It no longer mentions Trump as authorizing the Trump National Committee JFC. It simply reads: "Not Authorized by any Candidate or Candidate's Committee." Yet the emails are still signed by Trump himself, only now the Trump/Vance logo up top says "2025" instead of "2024". The Trump JFC is not authorized by anyone, but the emails still include a link to donaldjtrump.com. On May 1, an email subject line said, "I'm about to land". It was from President Trump. But, if the message was not authorized by any candidate, how does that wash?
All of those hundreds of idiotic emails, yet the audacity of this one stands out. The persistence is astronomical. The shakedown is relentless. After receiving email after email from Trump's sidekicks—each one saying they'd been talking about me with Trump, I got this from Trump himself:
"I emailed you.
The vice President emailed you.
My sons, Don Jr. and Eric, both emailed you.
My campaign manager, Brad, emailed you.
Lara emailed you.
Newt Gingrich emailed you.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders emailed you.
Trump Finance emailed you.
And now I'm emailing you. Again.
Each day, my team has given me a list of Patriots who have stepped up to help us reach our critical End-of-Quarter Goal, and each day, I've noticed YOUR NAME is STILL MISSING."
Yes, my name is still missing.
When future generations wonder what caused our democracy to teeter on the brink of mobocracy, kleptocracy, autocracy, and idiocracy, one of the best exhibitions just might be the gigantic mountain of Trump's email spam.
These ridiculous solicitations should wallpaper the Trump presidential library. Just as I was finishing this essay, Trump sent yet another email survey, asking if I could finish it in under five minutes: "My team bet you couldn't—but I said NO WAY you would ever let me down!" Yes, I’m sure it went down just like that.
Was I really expected to believe the email subject line?: "I've been thinking about you all week!"
Of course, Trump wasn't thinking about anybody but himself: "I've been wondering all week," he wrote, "what does Eileen think about my performance so far?"
It's all about the attention economy in Trumpland. For believers, you get to think you're being talked about. You buy merch with a billionaire's name on it. You gain status. You enter a contest to win gold golf balls. And—most importantly—you get thought about...but only because Trump needs you to be thinking about him.