As we gear up for the 2020 presidential election, we know one thing for sure: billions will be spent in the pursuit of the White House. One wildcard in particular, the president himself, is most likely going to lead the Democrats into spending more than they probably ever have in party history. They’re angry and desperate to get Trump out of office.
On the other side of the equation, Trump won the presidency off of his ability to go where the people are at. He’s held a lot of large rallies during his campaign and even now that he holds office. Most presidents have smaller gatherings, but Trump doesn’t do small. He likes the big rallies and brags about them on social media, even purposely inflating the numbers on several occasions.
It appears as if President Trump’s massive MAGA rallies will be going nowhere anytime soon. He is set to kick off his 2020 bid in Orlando, Florida. Many thousands of Americans have already begun waiting in line – 48 hours before the rally is even set to begin! Love him or hate him, President Trump certainly knows how to throw one heck of a rally and his supporters love it.
Not Footing the Bill
While Trump supporters have no problem waiting in long lines that stretch around the block to see their president, the cities themselves haven’t been too thrilled. Having the U.S. president visit is always an honor, even if they’re a polarizing figure. But cities are now frustrated with the president due to his inability to pay the bill his visits cost them.
As you can imagine, it costs a lot of money for a city to host any world leader. There’s traffic, police, security, fire fighters, and so much more that goes into a visit like that. According to several cities, Trump isn’t paying his MAGA rally bills. He owes over $800,000 to city governments all over the country.
El Paso alone, the place where Trump had a dueling rally against Beto O’Rourke while stumping for Ted Cruz, says Trump owes them $470,417. This is data from the Center for Public Integrity and first reported by NBC News. This is a substantial amount that the Trump administration says they’re not going to pay – and for good reason. He says El Paso’s bill is ten times higher than any other city he’s visited and he’s being unfairly targeted.
Other Cities with Unpaid Bills
While El Paso claims the largest unpaid bill, there are several others that stretch back to his campaign. Green Bay, Wisconsin, Burlington, Vermont, Tucson, Arizona, Billings, Montana, Erie, Pennsylvania, and Spokane, Washington all say Trump owes them money for their security detail and other similar matters that his visit cost the city.
Whether these cities ever see the money again is up for debate. The Democrats don’t feel as if the president is being responsible, even dinging him by making the claim that Trump is not known for paying his bills. “Let’s be honest, when does Trump ever pay his bills?” Spokane City Councilmember Kate Burke told NBC News.
California Rep. Zoe Lofgren, chairwoman of the Committee on House Administration called Trump’s actions “outrageous,” and added that “taxpayers deserve to know to what extent they are subsidizing the president’s political activities.”
The Federal Election Commission might soon have to get involved, as there are potential legal issues waiting for the president if he doesn’t comply and pay the debts that are owed. The rules state: “A political committee shall report a disputed debt … if the creditor has provided something of value to the political committee.”
