Thursday, February 26, 2026
trump dollar cash money

Trump Hauls $12M at David Sacks’s Silicon Valley Fundraiser.

An unprecedented fundraising event in Silicon Valley has bolstered Donald J. Trump‘s presidential campaign, raising $12 million on Thursday night. The high-profile event was co-hosted by tech entrepreneur David Sacks at his home, Broadcliff, in Pacific Heights. The fundraiser drew attention for its steep ticket prices, with per-couple tickets selling for $500,000 and per-person tickets priced at $300,000. Despite the costs, the event sold out, reflecting a massive show of support for former President Trump within the tech community.

Attorney and RNC Committeewoman for California, Harmeet Dhillon, shared news of the successful event on X (formerly Twitter), noting that Trump appeared “relaxed, happy, and cracking jokes about AI.” Trump was introduced by Senator JD Vance (R-OH) and then by Sacks himself.

The event attracted notable figures from the entrepreneurial and venture capital sectors, including the Winklevoss twins and various crypto industry leaders. Sacks, his wife Jacqueline, and venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya co-hosted the fundraiser.

This event marks a significant shift in the political landscape of Silicon Valley, where support for Trump has been relatively muted in recent years. The event underscored a willingness among some in the tech sector to publicly support the presumptive GOP nominee as he makes another bid for the presidency.

Trump’s fundraising success comes in the wake of his conviction in New York on 34 felony counts of falsified business records relating to payments recorded as legal fees. Despite these legal challenges, Trump’s campaign is closing the cash gap with Joe Biden’s, which has traditionally benefited from star-studded Hollywood fundraisers. Campaign fundraising figures indicated Trump has pulled in at least $141 million in May.

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An unprecedented fundraising event in Silicon Valley has bolstered Donald J. Trump's presidential campaign, raising $12 million on Thursday night. The high-profile event was co-hosted by tech entrepreneur David Sacks at his home, Broadcliff, in Pacific Heights. The fundraiser drew attention for its steep ticket prices, with per-couple tickets selling for $500,000 and per-person tickets priced at $300,000. Despite the costs, the event sold out, reflecting a massive show of support for former President Trump within the tech community. show more

Tom Hanks Brands Himself ‘Historian’ While Waffling On Nonsensically About Trump from Normandy.

Hollywood actor Tom Hanks added a new title to his resume, branding himself a historian while speaking with CNN‘s Christine Amanpour during commemorations for the 80th anniversary of the World War II invasion of Normandy. The CNN host pressed Hanks as to whether he was worried about the state of American democracy and freedom if former President Donald J. Trump retakes the White House in November.

“I think there’s always a reason to be worried about the short term,” Hanks replied, adding: “But I look at the longer term of what happened. I think, look, our constitution says, ‘We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union. That journey to a more perfect union has missteps in it. I can catalog them as much as you can, and you’re a professional journalist and I’m just a guy who makes movies and reads books.”

Amanpour interjected, calling Hanks a “historian” as well. “Okay, and a lay historian. I’ll take that too,” Hanks responded.

“Over the long term, however, we inevitably made progress towards, I think, that more perfect union,” the Hollywood actor continued before adding: “How does it come about? It comes about because, not because of somebody’s narrative of who is right or who is a victim or not. It comes out of the slow melding of the truth to the actual practical life that we end up living.”

Hank’s rambling response suggests that he is neither an apt historian nor someone who has thought very deeply about American democracy—especially in light of the Biden government’s unprecedented lawfare campaign against former President Trump. An incumbent President seeking to jail his top election opponent would appear to be a far greater threat to American democracy than anything elicited from Hank’s thoughts.

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Hollywood actor Tom Hanks added a new title to his resume, branding himself a historian while speaking with CNN's Christine Amanpour during commemorations for the 80th anniversary of the World War II invasion of Normandy. The CNN host pressed Hanks as to whether he was worried about the state of American democracy and freedom if former President Donald J. Trump retakes the White House in November. show more

Just 5% of Non-Citizens Voting are Registered as Republicans.

For the first time, non-citizen residents of Washington, D.C., went to the polls to help determine the city’s leadership. Over 500 noncitizens registered to vote, and almost none backed Republican candidates.

Just 5.35 percent of the new noncitizens registered in the nation’s capital as Republicans. Meanwhile, 59.27 percent of the noncitizen voters registered with the Democratic Party. However, the numbers for Democratic support are likely higher as another 32.31 percent of the voter demographic filed Independent registrations—which tend to break for Democrats in the city’s elections—and another 3.06 percent of noncitizen voters identified with the Statehood Green Party.

The National Pulse has reported extensively on the rise of noncitizen voting. While it is technically legal for city governments to allow noncitizens voting rights in municipal elections, the voting policy raises concerns about these voters being illicitly permitted to participate in state and federal races.

Noncitizens have been shown to have illegally voted in state and federal elections in several states, including Pennsylvania and North Carolina. In the latter, federal prosecutors uncovered evidence that local election officials were more likely to look the other way when a noncitizen registered to vote when said registration was as a member of the Democrat Party. The data produced by federal prosecutors suggests noncitizen voters are three times more likely to vote Democrat than Republican.

Meanwhile, in South Carolina, the state’s Medicaid administrator was found to be sending voter registration information to noncitizens who applied for government assistance. When asked why this was happening, state officials pointed to changes in federal law under the Biden government, which requires any state agency that manages federal funds to send election and voter registration documents to government assistance applicants.

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For the first time, non-citizen residents of Washington, D.C., went to the polls to help determine the city’s leadership. Over 500 noncitizens registered to vote, and almost none backed Republican candidates. show more

DATA: Americans Have Lost Trust in Their Judicial System. Who Knows Why!?

New polling data indicates that former President Donald J. Trump‘s conviction by a Manhattan jury on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records has undermined Americans’ confidence in the country’s judicial system. The YouGov poll, conducted from April 16 to May 31, reveals a decline in trust in the American jury system, particularly among independents and Republicans.

According to the poll, overall trust in the jury system fell from 54 percent to 51 percent within the six-week period. Independents’ trust decreased by four points, while Republicans saw a more significant drop of 17 points. Conversely, trust among Democrats increased by ten points, highlighting a widening 35-percentage-point gap between Republicans and Democrats compared to an eight-point gap before Trump’s conviction.

Despite the erosion of trust in the judicial system, the survey indicates that few Americans believe Trump‘s conviction will adversely affect his political prospects. Only 32 percent of independents and 18 percent of Republicans think the conviction will harm Trump’s campaign. Meanwhile, 58 percent of Democrats say the conviction hurts Trump. Overall, just 34 percent of respondents say it will negatively impact the 2024 Republican presidential nominee.

Further, the conviction appears to have a minimal effect on voter behavior among independents. Four percent of independents who initially planned to vote for Trump no longer intend to support him, while an equal percentage of those who did not plan to vote for him before the conviction now plan to do so.

Declining trust in the American judiciary has also been fueled by Democrat efforts to weaponize the Department of Justice (DOJ) and court system. The National Pulse reported last week that Democrats are ramping up efforts to undermine the legitimacy of the Supreme Court ahead of several major opinions being issued this month.

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New polling data indicates that former President Donald J. Trump's conviction by a Manhattan jury on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records has undermined Americans' confidence in the country's judicial system. The YouGov poll, conducted from April 16 to May 31, reveals a decline in trust in the American jury system, particularly among independents and Republicans. show more

DATA: Trump Surges With Black Voters, Up 15% Since Manhattan Conviction.

President Donald J. Trump is surging with black voters following his New York conviction last week, with a staggering 15-point surge for the 45th President. The numbers from Rasmussen Reports show Biden dropping 14 points.

An April poll fielded by Rasmussen showed Biden receiving 61 percent of the black vote, while his Republican challenger, former President Donald J. Trump, garnered just 21 percent support. However, over just one month, black voter support for Biden has collapsed, falling to just 47 percent in the May poll. Conversely, former President Trump has seen a significant increase in support among the voter demographic, sitting at 36 percent in the latest survey.

The Biden campaign has scrambled outreach efforts to stymie the flight of black and other minority voters from the Democratic Party ahead of November’s presidential election. However, the campaign appears to have found little success, with its emphasis on Biden’s support for diversity, equity, and inclusion—among other policies—falling flat with voters.

Polling data has consistently shown black and other minority voter demographics are breaking with Biden and the Democrats over his handling of inflation, the economy, and the U.S. border crisis. The Biden campaign has, by and large, avoided these topics on the campaign trail.

The National Pulse has extensively reported on the shifting voter trends ahead of the 2024 election. Last week, Biden received significant pushback from several prominent black Democrat leaders, warning him his campaign is not doing enough to retain voters in their communities. At the start of 2024, polling data suggested Biden was facing a potential revolt among key Democrat voter blocs, driven primarily by anger over inflation and illegal immigration.

 

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President Donald J. Trump is surging with black voters following his New York conviction last week, with a staggering 15-point surge for the 45th President. The numbers from Rasmussen Reports show Biden dropping 14 points. show more

Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

KASSAM: What Else The Data is Showing (It’s Not All Good).

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
Since Friday, the MAGA movement has been caught between two positions: 1) Putting on a brave face and 2) Citing major fundraising numbers in the wake of the historic conviction of President Donald J
Since Friday, the MAGA movement has been caught between two positions: 1) Putting on a brave face and 2) Citing major fundraising numbers in the wake of the historic conviction of President Donald J show more
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Embattled Senator Bob Menendez Ditches Dems, Will Run as Independent.

Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is preparing to file paperwork to appear as an independent U.S. Senate candidate on the 2024 New Jersey election ballot amid an ongoing corruption trial. The deadline for filing signatures in New Jersey is 4PM on Tuesday, which also coincides with the state’s partisan primary elections. Independent candidates require 800 signatures to qualify for the general election ballot.

Sen. Menendez, who announced in March that he would not seek re-election as a Democrat, left open the possibility of an independent run. “I will not file for the Democratic primary this June,” he stated in a video message. “I am hopeful that my exoneration will take place this summer and allow me to pursue my candidacy as an independent Democrat in the general election.”

Menendez is currently facing federal prosecution on corruption charges. The National Pulse reported that the New Jersey Democrat is accused of accepting cash, gold bars, luxury wristwatches, and other perks from New Jersey businessmen in exchange for providing official favors to benefit the businessmen and the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Menendez, 70, has fervently denied the allegations, labeling the prosecution as “overzealous.”

Rep. Andy Kim, a Democratic challenger who entered the Senate race in response to Menendez’s indictment, was critical of the incumbent’s decision. In a statement to ABC News, Kim asserted, “Americans are fed up with politicians putting their own personal benefit ahead of what’s right for the country. Everyone knows Bob Menendez isn’t running for the people of New Jersey, he’s doing it for himself. It’s beyond time for change and I’m stepping up to restore integrity back into the U.S. Senate.”

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Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is preparing to file paperwork to appear as an independent U.S. Senate candidate on the 2024 New Jersey election ballot amid an ongoing corruption trial. The deadline for filing signatures in New Jersey is 4PM on Tuesday, which also coincides with the state's partisan primary elections. Independent candidates require 800 signatures to qualify for the general election ballot. show more

Biden Lawfare Backlash: GOP Rakes In Cash Following Trump Verdict.

The Republican Party is setting fundraising records following the guilty verdict issued against former President Donald J. Trump in his Manhattan-based hush money trial on Thursday. Small-dollar donors have flocked to the Trump presidential campaign, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) in response to the Democrat lawfare efforts against the presumptive Republican nominee.

On Friday, the NRCC announced it had raised $300,000 following Thursday’s verdict, its best fundraising day of the 2024 cycle so far. A spokesman for the NRCC noted that 22 percent of the money raised came from new, first-time donors to the campaign committee. Likewise, the NRSC raised $360,000 in under 24 hours. The committee said online donations tripled after the jury issued the guilty verdict.

Meanwhile, former President Trump‘s 2024 campaign committee raked in nearly $35 million by Friday morning. Fueled by small-dollar donations, Trump’s fundraising haul almost doubled the previous single-day record on the WinRed platform. The Trump campaign highlighted that 29.7 percent of the donors were first-time contributors.

The NRCC’s post-verdict fundraising blew past the $175,000 it raised when Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA) was elected Speaker of the House. The NRSC’s fundraising also edged out the $325,000 it posted on Super Tuesday.

“The American people hate how the justice system was weaponized to convict President Trump,” NRCC spokesman Will Reinert said in a statement announcing the record contribution numbers. He added: “They are opening up their wallets to protest Joe Biden and House Democrats’ kangaroo court, and they will deliver the final verdict with their votes this November.”

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The Republican Party is setting fundraising records following the guilty verdict issued against former President Donald J. Trump in his Manhattan-based hush money trial on Thursday. Small-dollar donors have flocked to the Trump presidential campaign, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) in response to the Democrat lawfare efforts against the presumptive Republican nominee. show more

Trump To Hold Town Hall on X With Elon Musk.

Former President Donald J. Trump has agreed to hold a town hall event on X (formerly known as Twitter) with billionaire Elon Musk, the social media company’s owner. While the Trump presidential campaign and Musk have agreed to the event, in principle, a date for the town hall has yet to be set.

The town hall will be live-streamed on Musk‘s social media platform, with former President Trump fielding questions submitted by X users. In addition, the event will be broadcast on NewsNation. The X users participating in the town hall will be required to submit their questions to the event moderators, who are presumably Musk and a representative from NewsNation.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has also agreed to a similar event with X and Musk. Meanwhile, Joe Biden, the 81-year-old Democrat incumbent, declined Musk’s invitation to hold a town hall event on his social media platform.

Trump was suspended by Twitter, the predecessor to X, over three years ago following the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riots. The planned town hall would mark only the second time Trump has engaged with the platform since his suspension was lifted after Musk purchased Twitter in late 2022. Trump’s first X post since his suspension came on August 24, 2023, following his arrest and processing in Fulton County, Georgia, over alleged interference in the 2020 presidential election.

The National Pulse previously reported that Trump and Musk‘s former chilly relationship has thawed in recent months. Trump, for his part, has even floated the idea of a possible role for Musk in his presidential administration should he retake the White House in November.

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Former President Donald J. Trump has agreed to hold a town hall event on X (formerly known as Twitter) with billionaire Elon Musk, the social media company's owner. While the Trump presidential campaign and Musk have agreed to the event, in principle, a date for the town hall has yet to be set. show more

Trump Campaign Raises $34.8 Million After Sham Trial Verdict.

Former President Donald J. Trump announced a substantial fundraising haul of nearly $35 million on Friday, less than 24 hours after the guilty verdict against him in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg‘s hush money case. A New York jury found Trump guilty on Thursday of 34 counts of falsifying business records after a weeks-long trial.

The guilty verdict appears to have galvanized Trump’s supporters instead of demoralizing them as the Biden government likely hoped. The volume of traffic to the campaign‘s donation page caused it to crash temporarily late on Thursday. Meanwhile, Friday morning, the campaign announced it had raised $34.8 million in small-dollar donations, nearly doubling its previous single-day record on the WinRed platform.

“From just minutes after the sham trial verdict was announced, our digital fundraising system was overwhelmed with support,” said Trump campaign Senior Advisors Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles in a joint statement. “Despite temporary delays online because of the amount of traffic, President Trump raised $34.8 million from small-dollar donors.”

The Trump campaign highlighted that 29.7 percent of the donors were first-time contributors to the WinRed platform. “President Trump and our campaign are immensely grateful for this outpouring of support from patriots across our country. President Trump is fighting to save our nation, and November 5 is the day Americans will deliver the real verdict,” they added.

Former President Trump’s latest fundraising haul follows an announcement that his campaign — along with the Republican National Committee and affiliated SuperPACs — raised $76 million in April. Last week, the Trump campaign pulled in an additional $25 million during a fundraiser in Houston, Texas.

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Former President Donald J. Trump announced a substantial fundraising haul of nearly $35 million on Friday, less than 24 hours after the guilty verdict against him in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's hush money case. A New York jury found Trump guilty on Thursday of 34 counts of falsifying business records after a weeks-long trial. show more

Biden Campaign In Free Fall With Black Voters.

National leaders in the Black community are warning Joe Biden‘s presidential campaign that the 81-year-old incumbent is failing to generate enthusiasm among Black voters — a critical base of support for the Democrat Party. With just over 150 days until the 2024 presidential election, they warn that the Biden campaign may be out of time to shore up turnout among Black communities in several critical battleground states.

Black leaders claim that the Biden campaign has not done enough to message to the critical minority voter group. They note that the information gap has left many Black voters without an understanding of any of the Biden government’s minority-focused policy achievements.

“I’m in a battleground state. I know what has and hasn’t been done. I felt a level of disconnection earlier on the message, on the messengers, and on mobilization,” Congressman Steven Horsford (D-NV) said in an interview with POLITICO. Horsford serves as the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, a powerful group of Democrat lawmakers.

Radical progressive Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) pointed to the increasing numbers of voters getting their news from social media and the Biden campaign’s lack of urgency in the medium. “I think that the way that we communicate has changed in such a way that if you don’t invest earlier, it’s going to be a problem,” she said, adding: “I’m not saying that it’s the last minute, but we are in crunch time.”

While Black leaders in the Democratic Party point to messaging as the issue, polling data suggests Biden’s inability to bring inflation under control, the lack of full-time employment, and the illegal immigration crisis is what is driving minority voters away from Democrats. Several polls have shown Biden’s approval among Black voters at around 60 percent, down from over 90 percent in 2020.

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National leaders in the Black community are warning Joe Biden's presidential campaign that the 81-year-old incumbent is failing to generate enthusiasm among Black voters — a critical base of support for the Democrat Party. With just over 150 days until the 2024 presidential election, they warn that the Biden campaign may be out of time to shore up turnout among Black communities in several critical battleground states. show more