"Princess of Darkness" Meredith O'Rourke Raised Over $800 Million for Trump — WSJ
Meredith O'Rourke, a longtime ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, has become a key figure in his fundraising machine, which has already raised more than $800 million for political and related projects.
According to The Wall Street Journal, this is an unprecedented figure for a sitting U.S. president in terms of fundraising scale.
According to the publication, Trump personally calls O’Rourke almost every evening to get an update on which major businesspeople and companies have already made contributions, who has not yet transferred funds, and how much money has been raised. Sources speaking to the WSJ claim that the president often demands that fundraising targets be raised even after donors have already agreed to make large contributions.
During conversations with potential donors, O’Rourke emphasizes that she is reaching out to them on Trump’s behalf and that their contribution is “very important to the president.” Because of her extremely tough negotiating style and ability to persuade the wealthiest donors, Trump has nicknamed her the “Princess of Darkness.”
The WSJ notes that even after multimillion-dollar donations, the work does not stop. In one of the cases described, the head of a major company was asked to transfer another $1 million just a few days after a dinner organized to thank him for his previous multi-million-dollar contribution. According to sources, Trump’s team almost never considers fundraising complete and is constantly trying to increase the amount of funding.
According to the publication, the funds raised are used to support Trump’s political activities, finance organizations affiliated with him, run campaigns in support of Republican allies, and fund other political initiatives. The scale of the fundraising significantly exceeds the figures recorded by previous U.S. presidents during their terms in office.
Meredith O’Rourke is one of the Republican Party’s most influential fundraisers. She worked with Trump during his 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, and in 2024 she led fundraising efforts for his campaign. Although O’Rourke does not hold public office, according to the WSJ, she is a regular visitor to the White House and participates in fundraising for Trump’s key initiatives—from his presidential library to other projects he is promoting since returning to office.
Source: The Wall Street Journal.
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