

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.


Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greets supporters after his rally at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on August 21, 2015 in Mobile, Alabama. The Trump campaign moved tonight's rally to a larger stadium to accommodate demand. (Photo: Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images)
Panned as just the latest example of Trump using the presidential office for financial gain was news the Trump campaign on Monday sent an email to supporters offering to reward donations by having their names "flashed on the screen during a broadcast" of the president's State of the Union address Tuesday night.
"My fellow Americans, the state of the union is: for sale."
According to the Washington Post, the fundraising solicitation" offered those willing to pay at least $35 the opportunity to see their name displayed during a live streaming of the address on his campaign website."
"Talk about not getting it," said the government watchgroup CREW, in a tweet responding to the report: "President Trump is seeking to parlay his first State of the Union address on Tuesday into cash for his reelection campaign."
CREW wasn't alone in expressing incredulity:
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Panned as just the latest example of Trump using the presidential office for financial gain was news the Trump campaign on Monday sent an email to supporters offering to reward donations by having their names "flashed on the screen during a broadcast" of the president's State of the Union address Tuesday night.
"My fellow Americans, the state of the union is: for sale."
According to the Washington Post, the fundraising solicitation" offered those willing to pay at least $35 the opportunity to see their name displayed during a live streaming of the address on his campaign website."
"Talk about not getting it," said the government watchgroup CREW, in a tweet responding to the report: "President Trump is seeking to parlay his first State of the Union address on Tuesday into cash for his reelection campaign."
CREW wasn't alone in expressing incredulity:
Panned as just the latest example of Trump using the presidential office for financial gain was news the Trump campaign on Monday sent an email to supporters offering to reward donations by having their names "flashed on the screen during a broadcast" of the president's State of the Union address Tuesday night.
"My fellow Americans, the state of the union is: for sale."
According to the Washington Post, the fundraising solicitation" offered those willing to pay at least $35 the opportunity to see their name displayed during a live streaming of the address on his campaign website."
"Talk about not getting it," said the government watchgroup CREW, in a tweet responding to the report: "President Trump is seeking to parlay his first State of the Union address on Tuesday into cash for his reelection campaign."
CREW wasn't alone in expressing incredulity: