Trump Sparks Anger With 'Send A Brick' To Pelosi And Schumer Campaign
President Donald Trump has faced backlash after his 2020 campaign team launched a new fundraising drive to send bricks to the offices of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)
The Republican National Committee, Trump’s campaign manager Brad Parscale and Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. each hyped the initiative and its BuildTheBorderWall.com website on Twitter Friday:
Since Chuck and Nancy keep stonewalling the President, why don’t we send the wall to them, brick by brick, until they agree to secure the border!
Send A Brick To Congress | Donald J. Trump https://t.co/hfx2sp7JNH— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 18, 2019
“Since Chuck and Nancy keep stonewalling the President, why don’t we send the wall to them, brick by brick, until they agree to secure the border!” tweeted Trump Jr.
The website itself encourages people to “send a brick to Chuck and Nancy” as part of the “fight to fund” Trump’s proposed wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Its home page offers people two options to either “send Nancy a brick” or to “send Chuck a brick.” It features a photograph of a red brick superimposed with an SMS number to which people can text to donate to the cause — and the claim that enough fentanyl entered the U.S. in 2018 to “kill every American.”
“President Trump came up with a brilliant idea to make sure Chuck and Nancy have no choice but to listen to the American people,” reads the text on each of the “send Nancy a brick” and “send Chuck a brick” pages.
“We have set a goal to send 100,000 BRICKS to their offices to prove that WALLS WORK!” it adds. It allows people to “send” one brick for $20.20. Subsequent bricks work out at $20 each.
However, the small print reveals the bricks will be “faux.” It also notes the money will go to the Trump Make America Great Again Committee ― “a joint fundraising committee composed of Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. and the Republican National Committee.”
The stunt drew ire on Twitter, where people suggested ― among other things ― that the act of sending a brick (faux or otherwise) could have more sinister undertones:
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The @GOP is tweeting some half baked fundraiser they say for 20 bucks a pop you can send Nancy Pelosi or Chuck Schumer an actual brick. Bricks cost about .50 cents. Why don't they just build their own wall? https://t.co/oXPvkpekod
— Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) January 18, 2019
You are charging people $20.20 to send Shucker and Pelosi fake bricks? As the fine print says "Faux bricks will be sent to the offices of Chuck Schumer or Nancy Pelosi." Then your Dad is getting 75 percent of the money and the GOP 25 ..Interesting.
— Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) January 18, 2019
What’s the first thing that pops in your head when someone says bricks are a great way to send a message bc for me it’s broken windshields https://t.co/v2UdpS11TO
— Mollie Bryant (@MollieEBryant) January 18, 2019
What’s worse is certain people will take “send a brick” as throwing them
— Michael B Puskar for President 2020 (@mbpuskar) January 19, 2019
This seems like a bad idea, no? Inviting people to send a brick to Chuck and Nancy’s offices is likely to end with some nut hurling it through a window https://t.co/5494rGgmKL
— Alex Leo (@AlexMLeo) January 18, 2019
Trump campaign sending bricks. If I was a gratuitously wasteful dipshit, I’d launch an effort to send handcuffs to Trump. https://t.co/tPp660Fh3s
— Angelo Carusone (@GoAngelo) January 19, 2019
I like the symbolism! Fake bricks will work about as well as a real wall! 🙄
— Christina Molina (@XtinaMolina) January 19, 2019
This isn’t at all in bad taste when federal workers aren’t getting paid:
“For every $20.20 dollars raised by MIDNIGHT TONIGHT, we will send a BEAUTIFUL BRICK directly to the offices of Chuck Schumer or Nancy Pelosi.”*
*Trump fundraising email.— Kate Brannen (@K8brannen) January 18, 2019
Or... instead of wasting money on this, how about helping hungry children in the US? https://t.co/hppgaQLOlt
— adventuregirl (@adventuregirl) January 18, 2019
@realDonaldTrump is sending emails telling supporters to send a brick to Chuck and Nancy.
There's no way anyone can misinterpret that message. 😬— Vote Commey (@VoteCommey) January 18, 2019
Is Mexico paying for these bricks, or are you trying to get the American people to pay for these too?
— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) January 18, 2019
What a pathetic waste of time and foam blocks.
— Robert Garrett Williams (@Williams4TN) January 18, 2019
Hope these bricks are recyclable plastic, so we can recycle into something more valuable. #NoWallNowNoWallEver #EndTrumpGOPShutdown
— JeanneD 🐘 (@JeanneSofia) January 18, 2019
And I'm not a masonry expert, but if you lay bricks as basic technique dictates (https://t.co/eWGGREsCpj), you'll never be able to see the "Text 'WALL'" print. pic.twitter.com/tRdbOD2NoL
— Ezra Mechaber (@ezramechaber) January 18, 2019
A standard brick costs 70¢, weighs 4.2 lbs (1.9 kg), costs $2.68 to mail, and would unnecessarily tie up gov't mail screeners.
This is childish and petty. And in no way is it funding any border initiative—it's a campaign donation.— ➖Dustin Miller➖ (@spdustin) January 18, 2019
I assume Mexico won’t be paying for these, either?
— Angry Staffer (@AngrierWHStaff) January 18, 2019
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