Trump primary challenger Joe Walsh fundraises off of Sharpie controversy

Former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.), who is challenging President Trump for the GOP’s 2020 presidential nomination, is fundraising off the brewing controversy surrounding the president’s use of a map of Hurricane Dorian’s projected path that was edited with a Sharpie to include Alabama.

Walsh, calling Trump a “pathological liar,” said donors who give his campaign $25 or more can get a Sharpie with the words “DON’T LIE” written on the side.

Since the guy in the White House is a pathological liar, we customized his favorite marker to give him some advice: “DON’T LIE.”

Chip in $25 or more, and we’ll send you your very own “DON’T LIE” sharpie. https://t.co/AdIofIxTgY#BeBrave #Walsh2020

— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) September 6, 2019

Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld (R), who has also launched a primary bid against Trump, has fundraised off the controversy. He sent an email to supporters Thursday arguing that Trump was undependable in a time of crisis and that “spreading misinformation about storms can cost people their lives.”{mosads}

Trump first raised eyebrows Wednesday when he displayed a map in the Oval Office showing Dorian making its toward the East Coast. However, the storm’s path was extended with a Sharpie to include Alabama, though the National Hurricane Center’s own projections did not show the state was in the storm’s path.

Trump later told reporters that he was not aware of the change to the map, but was adamant that original forecasts said Alabama was going to be struck by the hurricane.

It was later reported Friday that Trump was the person who doctored the projection.

“No one else writes like that on a map with a black Sharpie,” an unnamed official told The Washington Post.

The president has extended the controversy with a series of tweets over the last few days defending his assertions that Alabama was in the storm’s path.

“The Fake News Media was fixated on the fact that I properly said, at the beginnings of Hurricane Dorian, that in addition to Florida & other states, Alabama may also be grazed or hit,” Trump tweeted Friday. 

“Check out maps. This nonsense has never happened to another President. Four days of corrupt reporting, still without an apology.” 

….This nonsense has never happened to another President. Four days of corrupt reporting, still without an apology. But there are many things that the Fake News Media has not apologized to me for, like the Witch Hunt, or SpyGate! The LameStream Media and their Democrat…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2019

Walsh, who served a single term in the House before becoming a conservative radio host, announced his primary challenge to Trump last month, saying the president is “unfit.”

Updated: 3:22 p.m.