Trump accused of bilking millions from MAGA fans for bogus 'election defense fund'

In his new book "The Longest Con: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Frauds Hijacked American Conservatism", political observer Joe Conason accuses former President Donald Trump of defrauding his MAGA supporters by raising hundreds of millions of dollars under the guise of an "election defense fund" after the 2020 presidential election.

Appearing on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" to promote his book, Conason, a longtime political commentator, made the case that Trump is deeply embroiled in grifting and scamming his own conservative base.

The book's foreword was written by George Conway, a self-described "honest conservative" who has been highly critical of Trump.

READ: 'Stop electing stupid people': Rage as Marjorie Taylor Greene flunks American history test

Conason explained that his book "tells a story of how conservatives got to the point where they are milking their own constituents for every penny they can squeeze out of them on false pretenses in almost every case." He described Trump's post-election fundraising as the "epitome" of this problem on the right.

According to Conason, in the weeks after the 2020 election, Trump "booked a quarter of a billion dollars" by telling his supporters he was setting up an "official election defense fund." However, the money did not actually go towards challenging the election results. Instead, it ended up in a super PAC controlled by Trump, which he could use for his own personal legal defense and other expenses.

This accusation fits into a broader pattern that Conason sees within the conservative movement. He argues that many Republican leaders and figures have been exploiting their supporters through dishonest and fraudulent means.

Conason's book aims to expose this "grifting" and "scamming" that he believes has become rampant on the right. The context here is important. "The Longest Con" comes at a time when Trump is facing a growing number of legal challenges, including criminal indictments in New York, Florida, and Washington, D.C.

Conason's claims about Trump's post-election fundraising tactics seem designed to further undermine the former president's credibility among his core supporters.

Additionally, Conason's accusations reflect a longstanding criticism of Trump's business practices and his tendency to take advantage of his followers.

Throughout his career, Trump has been accused of running various scams, such as the failed Trump University, and repeatedly stiffing contractors and vendors who have done work for him.

By highlighting Trump's alleged exploitation of his own voters, Conason is tapping into a broader narrative about the former president's unethical behavior and his willingness to prioritize his own interests over those of his supporters.

The book's title, "The Longest Con," suggests that this pattern of grifting and fraud has been a defining feature of Trump's political rise and the conservative movement more broadly.

Overall, Conason's appearance on "Morning Joe" and the claims made in his new book represent a scathing indictment of Trump and the state of American conservatism. By exposing what he sees as rampant dishonesty and self-serving grift, Conason aims to hold the former president and his allies accountable and to shed light on the deeper problems plaguing the conservative movement.

Watch the segment below or at this link:

MSNBC 07 08 2024 07 05 55youtu.be