Donald Trump is set to hold a news conference Tuesday to announce how much money he’s raised for veterans charities in recent months and provide a full accounting of those donations.
The news conference comes four months after Trump first announced he had raised $6 million — including $1 million of his own money — for veterans causes during a fundraiser he hosted instead of attending a GOP primary debate.
Trump has since revised that figure down to about $5.5 million following months of unrelenting questions from reporters struggling to track the funds and dodging on the exact amount from the Trump campaign.
Trump himself disbursed his $1 million pledge last week to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, a charity that helps support the families of fallen Marines and law enforcement officers to which Trump’s foundation has previously donated.
Amid reporters’ questions, Trump and his campaign have repeatedly offered conflicting accounts of how much money was raised and declined multiple requests to provide a full accounting. The campaign has insisted it was working on disbursing the funds, but said it was waiting on some donors to make good on their pledges and also needed to properly vet the charities in the running to receive the funds.
“Why should I give you records?” Trump told The Washington Post in an interview earlier this month. “I don’t have to give you records.”
As reporters’ inquiries dogged Trump, the billionaire has lashed out at the media, accusing them of twisting what should be a positive story.
But Trump on Tuesday will now look to capitalize on the attention his fundraising and lack of transparency has garnered by turning the tables on his critics and using the free media attention to boast of his charitable fundraising.
