Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign duped donors into making repeated contributions when they thought they were signing on for a one-time donation, The New York Times reports. By making the default option for financial support “Make this a monthly recurring donation,” the campaign reportedly put supporters down for multiple donations of the same value as the first—known in internal campaign communications as a “money bomb.” So many donors felt taken in by the scheme that the Trump campaign was forced to make 530,000 refunds worth some $64 million. Donors who claimed they were victimized by the scheme included Stacy Blatt, a 63-year-old cancer patient in hospice who made a $500 contribution then found himself unable to pay his utility bills and rent when the transaction repeated, costing him $3,000 in less than 30 days. His fixed income was only $1,000 per month.
