How Trump Views Charitable Giving

David Fahrenthold: “For one thing, he frequently attends charity galas and events, where attendance carries the implication (but not the requirement) that guests have made donations to the cause. I’ve even found galas where Trump was given a title like ‘honorary chairman’ — with the implication of an even bigger gift — but actually gave nothing. In fact, Trump made money on these galas, since they were held at his Florida clubs. Several of the charities said they were glad to have Trump as the honorary chairman anyway, since Trump’s name drew a crowd.”

“Separately, Trump seems to exploit the assumption that the money in the Donald J. Trump Foundation came originally from Donald J. Trump’s pocket. It doesn’t, and hasn’t for years. Instead, the foundation’s biggest recent gifts came from wrestling moguls Vince and Linda McMahon, who gave a total $5 million (and won’t comment about why). Since then, Trump has been effectively giving the McMahons’ money away, but — because his name is on the foundation — the recipients often give Trump the credit.”