Former President Donald Trump’s aircraft fleet, which was in rough shape when he left the White House, is now hauling in millions of dollars in revenue. This revenue is thanks to self-dealing, as Trump’s businesses have been charging his political operation for services such as food, transportation, and facilities. A review of Federal Election Commission records shows that Trump has moved $4.6 million of campaign money into his business empire, with $4.2 million flowing to one of his aviation companies, Tag Air.
During Trump’s 2016 campaign, he invested $66 million of his own money into his campaign, far outweighing the roughly $13 million his campaign paid his own businesses. However, in the 2020 campaign, Trump did not contribute any money while continuing to collect funds from donors, resulting in about $3 million of donor money being moved into his business. With the 2024 campaign, Trump is set to collect even more money as he travels around the country on his own plane, turning his private jet into a charter service of sorts.
Despite these transactions, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign chose to deflect by criticizing Joe Biden’s travel and Hunter Biden’s business dealings. The spokesperson also pointed out that Trump donated his $400,000-a-year White House salary and left office with less wealth than when he entered. Trump has charged his campaign far more than he donated in salary, and his 2024 campaign has also spent significant amounts at his properties such as Mar-a-Lago, Trump National Doral, and the Trump hotel in Las Vegas.
In addition to the funds from the 2024 campaign, other Trump-connected groups have also paid Trump’s businesses. For example, his 2020 campaign, which became a political action committee, rented space in Trump Tower and spent about $500,000. Trump’s leadership PAC, Save America, primarily used its funds for legal expenses and also spent $335,000 at Trump hotels. Trump’s joint-fundraising committees have paid his businesses about $1 million since he left the White House in 2020.
When all the funds from the 2024 campaign and other Trump-connected groups are added up, Trump’s businesses have collected approximately $7 million since the 2020 election. Despite not donating any of his own money to his 2024 campaign, Trump has been able to generate significant revenue for his businesses through self-dealing practices. This has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest and the use of campaign funds for personal gain. Trump’s ability to leverage his political connections for financial benefit highlights the complexities and controversies surrounding his post-presidential business dealings.
