Not many know, but there was a time when former President Donald Trump was a significant donor to Hillary Clinton’s campaign. According to Politico, both Trump and his son, Don Trump Jr., contributed to the former Democratic frontrunner for the presidential elections. Federal disclosure records reveal that between 2002 and 2007, Trump made several large donations to the Clinton Foundation, totaling up to $100,000.
It’s surprising to think that Donald Trump, who later called the Clinton Foundation “the most corrupt enterprise in political history,” once gave such large sums of money. While Trump would later accuse Clinton’s donors of using contributions to gain improper access to her, his campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, defended his actions. When questioned by CNN’s Anderson Cooper, “Was your candidate donating that money so that he could have access to Hillary Clinton whenever he wanted?” Conway responded, “No, it seems like he had access to her anytime he wanted. She went to his wedding,” adding, “No, he was not paying to play.”
Trump himself has addressed his past donations to Democratic candidates during an interview with Sean Hannity. He explained his reasoning, stating, “So, what am I going to do, contribute to Republicans? Am I going to contribute to, I mean, one thing I’m not stupid. Am I going to contribute to a Republican for my whole life when they get, they run against some Democrat? And the most they can get is one percent of the vote.”
He continued, “I mean, I’ve contributed to Schumer, I contribute — I’ve known Schumer for many, many years. And I have a good relationship with him. The fact is, that I think it is time maybe that we all do get along.” Despite these hefty donations to Democrats, Trump’s contributions to Republicans were relatively small. He reportedly gave just $1,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, further emphasizing the divide in his early political affiliations.
Trump would later claim that donors to the Clintons often sought personal favors or access, accusing foreign governments and businessmen of ulterior motives. When asked if Trump donated to Clinton for similar reasons, Conway denied it. In a 2016 interview with CNN, she reiterated, “No, it seems like he had access to her anytime he wanted. She went to his wedding. No, he was not paying to play.”
Conway also defended Trump’s donations to the Clinton Foundation, noting, “The Clinton Foundation does a lot of good work, and I also want to say for the record that they do. They do good work. And let’s hope that that money went to good use.”
