Donald Trump would withdraw from the 2024 presidential race and effectively hang up his political gloves if he were given $5 billion to do so, a new book has sensationally claimed.
Third Presidential Campaign
Trump, 77, is in his third race for the White House after winning the presidency in 2016 and losing re-election to Joe Biden in 2020 — a contest he refused to concede, branding it “rigged” and “stolen.”
Deadly Violence
Trump’s refusal to acknowledge he lost eventually led to rioting at the US Capitol, home of the House of Representatives and the Senate, that left five people dead, after Trump urged his followers to mass there and make their frustrations at the election outcome known.
Book Bombshell Claim
The assertion that Trump — currently leading the Republican field of candidates, with a circa-60-point lead — would swap the presidency for a large sum of money is made in a new book about disgraced cryptocurrency boss Sam Bankman-Fried.
‘Contacting Trump Aides’
Bankman-Fried, currently standing trial in New York on seven fraud charges relating to his failed crypto-trading platform FTX, approached aides of the former president to “[explore] the legality” of him quitting the 2024 race, new book Going Infinite claims.
In-Depth Interviews
Going Infinite traces the stratospheric rise and catastrophic fall of Bankman-Fried and is written by author Michael Lewis, who spent two years interviewing the 31-year-old former billionaire.
‘Paying Off Trump’
Lewis writes that he was on a plane with the onetime crypto king when Bankman-Fried told him he’d like to pay Trump to retire from politics.
“He explained to me, as the plane descended into Washington, he was exploring the legality of paying Donald Trump himself not to run for president,” he writes in the book.
‘Trump Team Demand’
Lewis continues, in Going Infinite:”His team had somehow created a back channel into the Trump operation and returned with the not terribly earth-shattering news that Donald Trump might indeed have his price: $5 billion. Or so Sam was told by his team.”
Broader Political Desires
But Bankman-Fried’s political aspirations didn’t stop with Trump, the new book claims, as he also sought to donate up to $30 million to Republican Mitch McConnell.
The plan was to help fund a campaign by McConnell so he would defeat candidates that were deemed “Trumpier,” according to Going Infinite.
Trump Legal Battles
Trump may be the frontrunner to clinch the Republican Party’s nomination for next year’s presidential election but he faces an uphill legal battle that could derail his campaign — or make him even more popular among Republican voters.
Federal and Civil Charges
Trump is facing 91 felony charges relating to conspiracy to defraud the United States and also alleged mishandling of top-secret documents. And he and his sons are standing trial in New York over allegations the Trump Organization committed large-scale fraud. The judge has already ruled in that case the massive fraud was committed and revoked some of the organization’s business licenses. Prosecutors are seeking at least $250 million in fines.
The Trump Conundrum
Trump’s ability to retain and even gain support among voters as his legal problems grow has confounded political analysts. The more trouble he encounters the more voters perceive it all as attacks by Democratic Party operatives and followers who don’t want him back in the White House, they say.
Trump Vs Biden
President Biden is running for re-election in next year’s race but some, inside the Democratic Party and beyond, are concerned about his advanced age, as he will be 81 in November.
Both Biden and Trump are polling around equal, however. The incumbent has a slight lead over the former president, according to a new PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll that puts Biden at 49% and Trump at 47% of registered voters who say they would vote for the men.
‘No Denial of $5 Billion Request’
Neither Trump nor his representatives have confirmed the alleged $5 billion request made to Bankman-Fried, who faces up to 155 years in jail if convicted of deceiving customers of his crypto-trading service to the tune of billions of dollars.
He has also been charged with funneling over $100 million in customer funds to various political campaigns.
A ‘$300 Million Loss’
Bankman-Fried made a trade predicting that Trump would cause a stock market crash when he was elected president in 2016 but it didn’t happen and the crypto boss lost $300 million on the transaction, Lewis also writes in Going Infinite.
At the height of his crypto career, Bankman-Fried was worth around $26 billion but now has “close to nothing” left, financial service Bloomberg reported.
12 Ways the World Suffered from Trump’s Reckless Moves
Donald Trump, a name that evokes a spectrum of responses, has undeniably left an enduring impact on the global stage. Even before his stint as the 45th President of the United States, Trump was synonymous with controversy and polarization. His bold personality and unvarnished communication approach have garnered ardent supporters and vehement detractors.
12 Ways the World Suffered from Trump’s Reckless Moves
Trump’s Hit List: 18 Brands That Incited the Wrath of the Former President
Public figures, in many instances, possess the considerable ability to shape and sway public sentiment, and this extends to former U.S. President Donald Trump, without a doubt. His comments, whether expressed through social media or in interviews, can exert substantial influence on consumer sentiment and, in turn, potentially impact sales. While it’s important to note that not every criticism he has voiced has resulted in boycotts or significant stock price fluctuations, it’s undeniable that these remarks consistently garner substantial media attention. In the following article, we delve into 18 instances where various brands have come under the critical gaze of Donald Trump. Trump’s Hit List: 18 Brands That Incited the Wrath of the Former President
