Eager Donors Crashed Trump Fundraising Page: Campaign

Donald Trump and his allies used the former president's historic conviction on 34 felony counts as an opportunity to remind followers to vote for him in November—and, at least according to the campaign, his followers do indeed seem to be rallying to his side. The Trump campaign's fundraising page crashed shortly after Thursday's verdict, and the campaign said it was because so many people were attempting to contribute, the Hill reports. "So many Americans were moved to donate to President Trump's campaign that the WinRed pages went down. We are working on getting the website back online as quickly as possible," the campaign posted on X. The campaign had earlier redirected its landing page to a fundraising page declaring Trump a "political prisoner," Politico reports. The site has since gone back online, Axios reports. Related coverage:

• "Mega donors" and other longtime donors quickly rallied behind Trump, pledging millions after he was convicted, Reuters reports.
• President Biden and VP Kamala Harris also were quick to use the verdict as a jumping-off point for fundraising, reminding their supporters that the conviction won't keep Trump from holding office, Fox News reports.
• Trump likely plans to continue to use the verdict as campaign fodder for some time, with a Manhattan press conference planned for Friday, the AP reports.
• Politico's take: "The immediate fundraising push is the latest example of Trump using his legal misfortune for political and financial gain. And it could be the most lucrative yet. His campaign has repeatedly turned legal jeopardy into millions of dollars to fuel his potential return to the White House, with flashpoints of greater peril driving more cash to his coffers."

(More Donald Trump 2024 stories.)