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UPDATE, 12:55 PM: No one really expected Donald Trump to handle Joe Biden dropping out of the White House race with grace, but the former president has gone almost straight for the cash.
Barely half an hour after ridiculing his 2020 rival and Biden’s legislative achievements in a social media post, Trump sent out a fundraising edict to supporters of his and running mate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) – and it made the post of earlier Sunday look positively polite
Full of what could be called a greatest hits of grievance, Trump told his MAGA donors: “FIRST, Biden’s FBI raided my home! THEN, his corrupt allies HAD ME CONVICTED IN A RIGGED TRIAL! But RIGHT NOW, he just quit the race in COMPLETE DISGRACE!”
The three-time GOP nominee went on to say: “The WASHINGTON ESTABLISHMENT, the Hate-America Media, and the corrupt DEEP STATE did everything they could to protect Biden, but YOUR SUPPORT just knocked him out of the race!
Asking for individual donations of $20.24 to the max contribution of $3,300, the appeal adds: “So, please PLEASE stand with me today to deliver the biggest response in history.”
BTW – if you give $47, the Trump-Vance campaign says that it will tell the world “You think Donald J. Trump is the greatest President of all time.
Classy.
PREVIOUSLY, 11:52 AM: Donald Trump bypassed any note of graciousness in his reaction to Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race Sunday.
Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, “Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve – And never was! He only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement. All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t – And now, look what he’s done to our Country, with millions of people coming across our Border, totally unchecked and unvetted, many from prisons, mental institutions, and record numbers of terrorists. We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Biden had called Trump following the assassination attempt on the former president, a call that both men called cordial. But they have been bitter rivals, declining to even shake hands at the recent CNN presidential debate.
RELATED: Hollywood, Media And Politicians React To Joe Biden Dropping Out Of Presidential Race
MSNBC’s Katy Tur today read out on air some of what Trump told NBC News’ Garrett Haake, similar to the former president’s social media post. “He should never have been there in the first place. He should have stayed in his basement,” Trump said, per Tur.
Trump’s team had set up the Republican National Convention on the idea that Biden would be the nominee, although his campaign has directed more of their criticisms to Vice President Kamala Harris recently. The campaign declined to commit to a CBS News vice presidential debate last week, noting that they wanted to wait to see who the nominee would be.