President Trump is seeking to parlay his first State of the Union address Tuesday into cash for his reelection campaign by offering supporters a chance to see their name flashed on the campaign's website during the speech.
“This is a movement,” the solicitation says. “It’s not about just one of us. It’s about ALL of us. Which is why your name deserves to be displayed during Tuesday night’s speech.”
The Web page to which the solicitation links offers donors the opportunity to contribute as much as $2,700 — the maximum amount allowed per election.
As of late Tuesday afternoon, the pitch had generated $1 million in contributions from more than 75,000 individuals, according to Cassie Smedile, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee. Money raised by solicitation will benefit not only Trump's campaign but also the RNC and joint fundraising committee, she said.
“Because of the overwhelming response, our digital folks are having to recalibrate how the names appear in order to get everyone on there at a speed that is still legible,” Smedile said.
In his speech, Trump is expected to take credit for a stronger economy and tie its continued growth to the Republicans’ tax plan, as well as argue his case on immigration, trade, infrastructure and national security.
In a separate document distributed to surrogates Monday, Trump aides said that Tuesday’s speech will be “bipartisan and forward looking” and that he will be “speaking from the heart.”