Published 09:30 IST, July 27th 2020
Trump's campaign told to stop appealing for funds by piggybacking on Ronald Reagan
Recommendation was sent after Trump’s Make America Great Again Committee shot fundraiser emails making a pitch to donours they can win "Trump-Reagan" coin set.
US’ Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute dispatched a formal request to the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC) to quit using US’ 40th President Ronald Reagan’s imagery and name for the fundraiser appeals, an RNC spokesman revealed, as per the US media reports. The recommendation was sent after Trump’s Make America Great Again Committee shot fundraiser emails making a pitch to the donors that it was a chance for them to win "new Trump-Reagan Commemorative Coin Sets".
Moreover, the subject line to the emails featured “Ronald Reagan and yours truly," duly signed by President Donald Trump, and the coins were engraved with Reagan’s image and the other with Trump ‘s. It promised, anyone who would donate $45 or more for Trump’s re-election will receive the “unique” coins, flashing an association between the 40th and 45th presidents that could invite legal troubles, as per reports. Chair of the Reagan Foundation board, Frederick J Ryan Jr., was the first to report the likeness of the two Presidents. RNC communications director Michael Ahrens, however, expressed “wonder” at the objection.
While the foundation held sole rights to the Reagan Presidential Library near Los Angeles to the use of 40th President images, it was “surprised” at the unlawful use of imagery in Trump’s campaign for political and commercial gains. Reagan Foundation Chief Marketing Officer, Melissa Giller, said that the foundation contacted RNC after it learned that the images on the coins were used for Trump’s election campaign without prior consent, a leading US broadcaster reported. However, the exact number of coins sold still remains unclear and was being investigated.
Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan adapted
Another report claimed that President Trump, ever so often, had drawn parallels between himself and Reagan. It accused, Trump’s "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan was an adaption to one of the slogans used by President Reagan in the 1980s elections. Meanwhile, Trump on Sunday tweeted, “So the Washington Post is running the Reagan Foundation, and RINO Paul Ryan is on the Board of Fox, which has been terrible. We will win anyway, even with the phony @FoxNews suppression polls (which have been seriously wrong for 5 years)!"
(Image Credit: AP)
Updated 09:30 IST, July 27th 2020