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Is Donald Trump The Least Charitable Hairpiece Of All Time?

41311trump.jpg There's a lot of things we could debate about Donald Trump: is he seriously running for president? Does he really think Obama wasn't born in the US? Is that his real hair? If that is his real hair, why doesn't he do something about it? Does he not realize that people are staring at him? But there's one thing that has always seemed rather irrefutable: Trump is pretty darn rich (or else he'll sue you). Now here's another thing that seems rather irrefutable: Trump is pretty darn cheap when it comes to charitable donations.

The Smoking Gun got fed up with listening to all of Trump's blatherings about "birther" this and "new season of Celebrity Apprentice" that, so they did some research into how Trump has spent his vast wealth (he said he had "seven billion fucking dollars in the bank" at his celebrity roast) over the past 20 years. What they discovered was that Trump did not have much enthusiasm when it came to charity: from 1990 through 2009, he has personally donated a total of just $3.7 million to his foundation, which was incorporated in 1987. The billionaire is not even the largest contributor to his own charitable organization—the World Wrestling Entertainment, who have given over $5 million, is.

Overall, the Trump foundation has "made charitable contributions totaling a paltry $6.7 million" over the past two decades. Compared to the philanthropy of other high-profile tycoons like Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Larry Ellison, Ted Turner, Michael Bloomberg, David Geffen, or S.I. Newhouse, it's a pitiful amount. Bloomberg donated $235 million to charity in 2008 alone! They note that in the aftermath of "national tragedies like September 11 and Hurricane Katrina," Trump conveniently misplaced his checkbook, and the donations he has made to organizations such as New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Fund are "mere crumbs falling from his overflowing plate."

Trump, who describes himself as an “ardent philanthropist” whose charitable activities are “an integral part of his ethos" on his website, did find the money to make certain political contributions in 2010—to Democrats. Last year, the mogul made a donation of $50,000 to Rahm Emmanuel, $2,400 to Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, $2,000 to Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner, $4,800 to Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and $10,000 to the NY Democratic Party, among others.

Trump is still doing well in silly CNN polls, tied with Mike Huckabee for first choice among Republican candidates—of course, more than four out of ten Republicans also don't want him to run at all. But hey, on the plus side, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor thinks that this whole presidential run bullshit is just that: bullshit. "No, I don't think he is really serious when we see a campaign launch on the birther issue," Cantor said on CNN when asked about Trump, whom he said he wouldn't support come election time. Hopefully Trump will give this all up soon, and get back to doing what he loves doing most:

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Comments [rss]

  • Is Donald Trump's hairpiece a merkin?

  • santijose

    the man is getting what he wants from all this right from the start. a lot of FREE publicity. that alone is worth $$$$ to him. he doesn't give a f*** about the left, right or the middle. its all about him, and him has got it.

  • whatidsay

    If that hairpiece could be measured in jokes, I'd say it's been pretty damned generous.

  • l3iodeez

    Donations to Democrats? Thats surprising. Maybe he is planning to be a independant GOP spoiler for 2012. That would be hilarious.

  • ahardy55

    Not if you know anything about how politics works. Corporations buy influence from whoever they can, be they Democrats or Republicans.

  • tippmann

    Well, at least he fits the bill of a typical Republican now. Rhetoric first, actual actions last.

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