General Discussion

That prescheduled event, however, was not directly related to the war; it just coincided with the start of the military offensive. Almost two weeks later, however, war-related Republican fundraising began in earnest. MS NOW reported:

President Donald Trump’s political action committee this week sent a fundraising email promising donors ‘private national security briefings’ by the president himself and featuring a photo from the dignified transfer for U.S. service members killed in Kuwait.

Meidas Touch Network published the entirety of the fundraising appeal on Thursday, which was sent to prospective donors as an “announcement from Donald J. Trump.” The message, filled with links to a donation page, claims that the president is “opening up spots on the National Security Briefing Membership” — some kind of undefined entity, which almost certainly does not exist.

“As a National Security Briefing Member, you’ll receive my private national security briefings, unfiltered updates on the threats facing America. The straight truth on border invasions, foreign adversaries, deep state sabotage, and every danger the fake news hides,” the Never Surrender fundraising letter continued. “You’ll get the inside scoop DIRECT from me, President Trump, the leader who’s rebuilt the greatest military in history, and put America First like no one else.”.....

On Sunday night, after the latest in a series of weekend trips to Mar-a-Lago, a reporter asked Trump about the propriety of such efforts.

Q: Your PAC put out a fundraising email and it's being criticized for using photos of you at the dignified transfer--

TRUMP: Well, I was at the dignified transfer, unlike a lot of people

Q: Do you think it's an appropriate email?

TRUMP: Yeah, I do. There's nobody better to the military than me

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-03-16T01:09:30.389Z

The Republican’s initial defense was that he was on hand for the dignified transfer, “unlike a lot of other people.” That didn’t make a lot of sense: Presidents don’t get credit for simply showing up at such a ceremony; there was no reason for unnamed “other people” to be there; and none of this had anything to do with the underlying question.

Pressed further, Trump defended the fundraising practice by saying, “There’s nobody that’s better to the military than me.”

Putting aside the inconvenient fact that Trump’s record related to military service members is actually quite atrocious, there’s still a disconnect between the defense and the allegation. To hear the president tell it, he’s been good to the armed forces, so he’s entitled to exploit a flag-draped coffin when begging for cash.