Trump campaign fundraising pitch seeks donations to ‘hold China accountable’

A fundraising committee for President Trump’s reelection campaign sent out a request for contributions to help the president “hold China accountable” by giving to his reelection bid.

The appeal builds on Trump’s frequent broadsides against China over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak as he seeks to pin blame for the global pandemic on Beijing.

“China has been lying and doing everything they can to cover up the spread of COVID-19 in their country,” the committee wrote. “It’s absolutely disgraceful and we can’t stand by and do nothing.”

“President Trump has always been tough on China, but he can’t hold them accountable on his own. That’s why he’s calling on YOU to stand with him and hold China accountable for their lies and deceptions during the Coronavirus pandemic.” 

INBOX: an email from the Trump campaign asking for donations “to give President Trump the necessary funds to hold China accountable.“

President Trump “is calling on YOU to stand with him and hold China accountable for their lies and deceptions during the Coronavirus pandemic.” pic.twitter.com/fAvqsmejf2

— Sara Cook (@saraecook) April 14, 2020

The committee added that its goal is to garner 10,000 donations before midnight.

The fundraising request piggybacks off rising criticism from Trump and congressional Republicans over reports Beijing downplayed the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in China. 

“I don’t know if you’d say China’s to blame,” Trump said last month. “Certainly we didn’t get an early run on it. It would have been helpful if we had known about it earlier. But it comes from China, and it’s not a question about that — nobody’s questioning that.”

The tough rhetoric in the fundraising pitch Tuesday contrasts with remarks Trump made earlier this year when the president praised Beijing’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, tweeting in January that “The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency.”

China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2020