Manhattan indictment might be the best thing for Trump’s fundraising as campaign donations roll in

Two hours after news that Donald Trump had been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury the fundraising email shots began blasting out.

‘Holding a shirt just for you,’ read the subject line of one message, advertising a new T-shirt which was available to supporters for a minimum donation of $47.

‘I stand with Trump,’ read its slogan, along with the date of 3.30.23. 

It was one of a slew of messages sent out to email addresses held on a campaign database.

The date, a day before the federal deadline for filing financial numbers for the first quarter of the year, gave the push an added urgency.

Republican strategist John Feehery said it would give Trump an immediate political lift. 

‘In the short term, it helps with fundraising,’ he told DailyMail.com.

‘Once again Trump dominates earned media and from a political perspective this is beautiful for Trump, and it is all about him.’

Even before Thursday, the threat of indictment had brought cash rolling in. The Trump campaign previously said that it had raised $2 million in grassroots donations in the week Trump announced he was facing arrest in the hush money investigation. 

Donors and strategists said the indictment would hand Trump lift with his base, encouraging small donors to chip in to his campaign, while his main rival Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has lured away big donors. 

Allies spread the word.

Sen. Lindsey Graham used an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity to encourage viewers to give. 

‘DonaldJTrump.com, go tonight, give the president some money to fight this bulls***,’ he said.

There they will see a message urging them to give. 

‘We have a country to save. And I’m not giving up now – and I know you aren’t either,’ reads the message from Trump

‘Our 2024 presidential campaign will continue on just the same.

‘As the never-ending witch hunts heat up, please make a contribution to defend our movement and SAVE America.’

Another email from the Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee took readers through the likely steps of his arrest, quoting a New York Times account of how it would work.

‘He will be fingerprinted. He will be photographed,’ read the account. ‘He may even be handcuffed.’

Insiders said they learned of the indictment via news reports, but added that they had already devised a strategy for getting messaging into the media, with social media blasts and getting surrogates — high-profile public supporters — on to television.

‘We had a plan in place and the plan was executed,’ said a source familiar with the planning. ‘Getting surrogates out, getting content out.

‘If you look at our war room and team Trump twitter accounts they are all pushing relevant content.’

However, not everything was quite as expected. Insiders admitted they were taken by surprise.

Trump’s lawyer told Fox News that they found out about the indictment from the New York Times.

‘We are always the last to know … always,’ said Joseph Tacopina. ‘The New York Times told us today he was indicted and we got confirmation from the DA’s office.’

Last week the grand jury probing alleged business fraud linked to a $130,000 hush money payment to adult movie star Stormy Daniels appeared to be stalling.

This week it emerged that it was not going to sit for a month, prompting Trump allies to say the Manhattan district attorney was preparing to quietly shelve the case.