It Looks Like No One Wins a Dinner With Donald J. Trump

[Initech]

On October 22, an email from Donald J. Trump’s campaign to its subscribers read, “I just saw the most recent list of Patriots who have contributed to win a trip to meet me in Chicago on October 28th, and I noticed you STILL haven’t entered,” then followed up the next day with an email that said, “We’d hate for you to miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have lunch with President Trump himself at his FAVORITE hotel in Chicago.” This, like 14 other promotions by the campaign since 2018, promised one lucky winner travel, accommodations, and a meal if they signed up for the contest (some posts screenshot in the newsletter suggested that campaign donations increase odds of winning).

And yet, in nearly two years of these promotions, there’s yet to be evidence that any of these promised meals actually happened. This according to the newsletter Popular Information and sleuth Judd Legum, the founder of ThinkProgress and former research director in 2008 for Hillary Clinton’s campaign. He asked the Washington Post’s pool reporter, who was traveling with the president at the time, whether the president had made a stop to lunch with the winning contestant in Chicago. She asked the campaign and the White House, but did not receive an answer. Popular Information asked a campaign spokesperson as well and did not receive an answer.

Which means, you know, who knows! It’s possible the president went to these meals quietly. Maybe Trump grabbed a nice dinner at some little hole in the wall before he boarded his whirlybird and took to the sky. Trump must be over having his photo taken by now. You can almost hear him yell, “Can’t I get lunch with some random person in peace!” Yes, he seems like the type to really know when it’s time to stop mugging for the camera and focus on quality time. But campaigns demand these kinds of wholesome photo ops; even though Trump surely didn’t want a picture, a picture would have to be shared.
https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/11/donald-trump-meet-and-greet-contest

Bad news for those of you who want to enter the MAGA Challenge. You'll be the one crying in the end.

[jberryhill]

1. "Win" and "dinner with Trump" seems like an inherent contradiction

Some candidate should have a fundraising contest in which the prize is "no dinner with Trump"

[dchill]

2. Not even a cold Big Mac? That's utterly disheartening!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Winning, as far as I'm concerned, means NOT having to have dinner with Trump.

[htuttle]

4. He's doing it wrong

The numbers racket is supposed to pay off to a stooge from time to time.

He's not even good at criming.

[LuvNewcastle]

5. Have some nausea with your dinner.

No thank you.

[OAITW r.2.0]

6. Just another fuck you to the base.

He laughs at his low-information voters. They are the easiest to con and he's certainly going to be using the the Republican voter database to scam these rubes forever.

[Initech]

11. Yup, he loves the poorly educated.

[TeamPooka]

7. Even some KFC and a selfie is too much for Trump to deliver as promised.

[dmr]

8. He has to prove he honored these contests. Thus far, he hasn't.

I read last week that his campaign said they have, but were unable to provide the documentation to the reporter (I don't recall the reporter or who he represents).

There are campaign and state laws here, and they have yet to file. My bet is he is, as usual, scamming his base. He is a disgusting and despicable fraud.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

9. First Prize: Dinner With tRump. Second Prize:

Two Dinners With tRump!

[ret5hd]

20. The Losing Prize:

Group orgy with drump, melanoma, ivankavitch, and donnie jr. Suicide pills will be provided if you can’t stomach the scene.

[Thomas Hurt]

10. Did they really think that King Bedbug would lower himself to meet with the peasantry.

[catbyte]

12. I'm afraid I'd just sit there in horrified fascination, like visiting the insect house at the zoo.

[struggle4progress]

13. "Please accept these McDonald's coupons from us and enjoy a lovely McDonald's dinner

at a reduced price! The President will try to attend -- but if he's not there, just start without him!"

[Corgigal]

14. I have no idea

why this shock, me but it does. It’s so easy to validate.

Of course, he would never waste his time sitting down with any of these people.

[Ilsa]

15. There have been winners, but he never shows up. nt

[NCLefty]

16. More Trumpian fraud? Sheesh.

[Buns_of_Fire]

17. Look at it this way: They're ALL winners!

...and you don't have to eat with him, and you don't have to eat with him, and you don't have to eat with him, and...

[Orangepeel]

18. 2nd prize is two dinners?

[Skittles]

22. 2nd should be no dinners

[Orangepeel]

26. no dinners is the grand prize!

[Skittles]

28. oh that's right

[unblock]

19. surely this is illegal, in at least two ways

first, obviously it's fraud to solicit funds in exchange for a chance at something that never materializes for anyone.

second, in my limited understanding of sweepstakes laws, your odds of winning can't legally be improved by forking over more money. that makes it a lottery, which aren't allowed outside of places like casinos and governments. this is why all legal lotteries usually, if you read the small print, say no purchase required and you can get an entry for free by sending in a postcard (ok, you will need a stamp).

no sure, but it's probably also a violation of campaign finance law, but i'm not counting this one because i'm really not sure about that.

ianal

[LeftInTX]

29. I think all you had to do was answer a survey

I've seen his promos around.

[greatauntoftriplets]

21. I'd puke in his lap.

[Skittles]

23. I just.......have to

[greatauntoftriplets]

25. That's exactly what I was thinking of.

[keithbvadu2]

24. Mitt Romney won a meal with Donald... and a helping of humiliation.

[TheBlackAdder]

27. I'd fucking sit down with him. He'd be the first one to get up to leave, I'll tell you that!

Last edited Mon Nov 11, 2019, 10:24 PM - Edit history (1)