Robinson went on: “I know he doesn’t need my money and the little bit of money I’ve sent, it’s not going to make a big difference. But I just feel in good conscience, that if you support somebody, you should contribute to help offset some of his costs.” Robinson also offered to volunteer and provide office space if the campaign wants to come to town. He’s given money to another Republican in the race—Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
Illinois retiree Beverly Perlson, who’s from a military family, said she was immediately drawn to Trump because of his attention to veterans’ issues and his promise to overhaul the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The first time she heard him speak about the issue, she said, “I absolutely fell in love with Donald Trump at that moment.”
Her recent $100 contribution was intended to say thank you. “My heart rejoiced because he’s honestly the first person who stood up for our troops, our veterans,” she said.
While Trump originally denounced the idea of contributions, he appeared to warm to the idea over the summer. His campaign now makes it easy to give, with a prominent “Donate” Button“ on his website. The site also offers an online store full of campaign gear, such as $30 hats with Trump’s ”Make America Great Again” slogan and $50 sweatshirts.
The latest filings show that the vast majority of Trump’s campaign expenses in the last quarter were financed by contributions, not by Trump himself.
Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said in August that the campaign had received tens of thousands in small-dollar donations, but contributions would remain “a very small portion” of the campaign’s funds. He did not respond to questions Friday about the extent to which the campaign’s calculus had changed.
Many of the logged contributions reflect purchases from the website. Elle Koch, a semiretired business owner from Cincinnati, Ohio, made a hooded sweatshirt and bumper sticker purchase.
Koch, a frequent phone-banker, would like an eventual role with the campaign. She said she wasn’t surprised by the large number of contributions.
“This is one of the things you can do right now to show your support,” she said.
