Posted on 01/28/2016 5:40:28 PM PST by Kaslin
After bailing out on the Fox News GOP presidential debate tonight in Des Moines just days before Iowa voters head to caucus, Donald Trump announced he will be hosting an event to raise money for veterans groups. The event will take place at the same time as the debate and CNN plans to cover.
In response to Trump's event, Ted Cruz super PAC Keep the Promise countered with $1.5 million for veterans groups, so long as Trump agrees to debate the Texas Senator one-on-one before voting gets started on Monday.
Cruz super PACs: We'll give $1.5 million to vets if Trump debates https://t.co/EQIJTXYKmB | Getty pic.twitter.com/KfGEaDItqi— POLITICO (@politico) January 28, 2016
Then, candidate Carly Fiorina upped the ante by offering $2 million to veterans if Trump agrees to a debate at Drake University.
Upping the ante, I'm free tomorrow at 8pm, @realDonaldTrump. My campaign will give $2mm to veterans' cause to debate at Drake U. (2/2)— Carly Fiorina (@CarlyFiorina) January 28, 2016
Many, including at least one prominent veterans group, saw these moves as cynical political ploys rather than honest efforts to do good for the nation's vets. From Paul Rieckhoff, founder and CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America:
If offered, @IAVA will decline donations from Trump's event. We need strong policies from candidates, not to be used for political stunts.— Paul (PJ) Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) January 27, 2016
Now it's Cruz yanking vets into the nastiness of the presidential fights before Iowa. This is not what vets need. https://t.co/xY9zwQX11n— Paul (PJ) Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) January 28, 2016
Vets don't need political stunts. We need candidates to present smart, specific plans on VA reform, suicide: https://t.co/oDE9v5GXRq #IAVA— Paul (PJ) Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) January 28, 2016
If folks want to support vets, $$ doesn't need to be funneled through a political campaign. Just donate directly to groups doing good work.— Paul (PJ) Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) January 28, 2016
Trump has not and likely will not agree to Cruz or Fiorina's offers. The question is whether the money will be donated anyway.
@KatiePavlich Eh, money is money.— Leigh Wolf (@LeighWolf) January 28, 2016
One group run by a guy who wrote an anti-George W. Bush book and is a big ‘dont ask dont tell’ guy?
Lame.
He jumped on the media attention and played the networks who used him for disinformation - just as you are now.
So, that Cruz PAC will only contribute to a veterans' organization if they get something useful politically in return?
So these pompous clowns will deny contributed funds to the veterans they suppposedly represent.
Hang your heads in shame. You’re not about our vets. You’re about your posturing. Shame on you!
The guy was just on CNN and admitted he is a Hillary Clinton follower,his exact words were,” Hillary knows best what vets need “??????? Wonder what outfit he represents???? what branch was he in The Saudi Arabian Air National Guard!.....
It's illegal for the PAC's to coordinate with candidates campaign.
BTW during the interview on CNN before the rally Trump stated he feels $5 million should be just about right!
It's not for the Vets, it's for the soundbites. Sadly. Hope Trump points out the fact that there are too many vets out there that need help and the Orgs that wan't to reject ANY money need to be scratched off EVERY donation list.
Trump has been asking media to give to veterans groups over several debates because of the increased ratings he brings. These other politicians have not done that.
Just saw this IAVA guy on CNN, he’s a huge Hillary supporter. Guess lying to the parents of the Benghazi heroes and endangering national security doesn’t bother him. He’s putting his partisan ideology above the interests of the Vets he’s supposedly representing.
That vets' group would benefit from having a leader who's not quite so self-important and politically motivated. If some serious bucks can be filtered through a well known public figure and then given to the vets's group, that group has money they wouldn't have had otherwise.
This guy needs to put the organization before his own ego.
A Queer scumbag attacks Trump, so of course Cruzboys post his ravings.
This is the same story, citing the same ONE group.
Its as if the retards in the press called around until they could find one group to say what they needed.
Donald Trump has been trying to raise money for vets at every debate but none of the news agencies holding the debates has bothered to oblige him even though they have pocketed millions off of the debates. This isn’t a political stunt. it was genuiine gesture. declining the aid is a political stunt.
That’s the point! Absolutely!
Wow, “Conservative” Townhall hyping IAVA a Leftist political front group that slapped a “Vets” label on their fund raising scam. Pimpin IAVA that raised 6 million last year and spent only $80,000 helping Vets.
Well, if the Veterans Organizations don’t want our money, fine. They will be out of business soon with that mindset. Shame on them for not taking care of our veterans.
I’ve been refreshing the donation link. So far, over 380K. It updates every so often.
https://www.donaldtrumpforvets.com/
I semi-remember a quote from Churchill about why he would work with Stalin to defeat the Nazis. Something about he would work with the devil to defeat Hitler.
If these so called Veterans’ organizations care about helping Veterans, they would take money from the devil himself to help.
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