Trump says he’s given $5.6M to veterans groups
Donald Trump: I have raised $5.6M for veterans https://t.co/BuaYFT304J https://t.co/RofT7dVG5f
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) May 31, 2016
Donald Trump on Tuesday said he finally gave “close to 6 million dollars” to veterans groups, four months after making the pledge in late January.
The presumptive GOP presidential nominee also said the press “should be ashamed of themselves” for asking questions about the money he donated.
{mosads}”I have never received such bad publicity for doing such a good job,” Trump said, before releasing a list of the groups that received the money.
“As of this moment, it’s $5.6 million,” Trump added in a press conference at Trump Tower in Manhattan on Tuesday.
“All of the money has been spent.”
Trump said he didn’t release the names of the veterans organizations sooner because he wanted to respect their privacy. He insisted that the money for a number of these groups was delivered some time ago.
The businessman said veterans groups had been thanking him and that one gentleman was so overcome with joy that he was crying.
Trump spent several minutes reading out the list of veterans organizations that he said received the money from him and his friends. He said that, among others, “22 Kill” received $220,000; “Green Beret Foundation” got $350,000; and American Hero Adventures took $100,000.
Trump named several prominent businessmen who he said joined him in donating to the veterans groups, specifically singling out billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn for giving $500,000 and that Treasure Island casino owner Phil Ruffin for donating $1 million.
Trump berated the media throughout the press conference, saying the political press are “among the most dishonest people I’ve ever met.”
Instead of appearing in a Fox News debate with his presidential competitors on Jan. 28 in Iowa, Trump hosted a rally to raise money for veterans organizations.
During his speech that evening, Trump declared, “We just cracked 6 million, right. Six million.”
But in the weeks following Trump’s pledge, The Washington Post and other news outlets pressed the billionaire’s campaign for details on where the money had gone.
After nearly four months of media pressure, the Post reported last week that Trump had finally made good on his personal $1 million pledge.
Last Monday, Trump reportedly called James Kallstrom, who chairs the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation. According to its website, the charity “provides scholarships to the children of fallen United States Marines and Federal Law Enforcement Officers.”
— Updated at 11:30 a.m.
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