The ink was barely dry on Judge Arthur Engoron's ruling that held former President Donald Trump liable for over $350 million in fines for civil fraud in New York, when a GoFundMe campaign was launched to crowdfund all that money for the former president.
"Stand with Trump; fund the $355M Unjust Judgment," the campaign was titled, seeking the full amount Trump owes after it was found that he and his two adult sons systematically lied about property valuations to bilk banks and the state tax agency.
The campaign was started by Elena Cardone, the wife of Miami-based private equity manager Grant Cardone, who advertised the effort by saying, "Give something & DEMONSTRATE that the people of America are standing together against unjust rulings like this where a bias judges & corrupt legal system is out of control."
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But not so fast, said far-right activist Laura Loomer, a staunch ally of Trump, in a post on X — Trump patriots should be wary of contributing to this effort.
"Go Fund Me is anti Trump and liberal," wrote Loomer, saying that the Cardones should have instead used GiveSendGo, a Christian crowdfunding site notorious for welcoming neo-Nazi campaigns. "Go Fund Me is notorious for banning conservative campaigns. I have been banned from GoFundMe since 2018."
Loomer, who calls herself a "proud Islamophobe" and has defended the ideology of white nationalism, recently mounted multiple unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Florida, and was considered for a position on Trump's 2024 campaign before his associates talked him out of it.
This is not the first time in recent months that right-wing activists have devolved into infighting over suspicions their own projects might not be legitimate. When the "God's Army" trucker convoy was organized to travel to the border earlier this year, it struggled to attract participants because some activists feared it might be a front for FBI entrapment.
