Ronald Reagan Foundation Asks Trump Campaign To Stop Using Late President’s Image In Fundraising

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation has asked the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee to stop using President Ronald Reagan’s name and compare him to President Donald Trump in their fundraising campaigns.

On Saturday, Reagan Foundation chief marketing officer Melissa Giller told the Washington Post that the request came after to the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee’s email, offering two coins, one engraved with Trump’s face and another one with Reagan’s to anyone who donates $45 for Trump reelection campaign. The email with a “Ronald Reagan and yours truly” subject line was “signed” by Trump himself. Giller said the RNC agreed to stop sales of the coins and using Reagan’s image to raise money for the campaign.

RNC communications director Michael Ahrens said the request came as “surprise” citing Reagan’s Republican history and parallels to Trump.

“President Reagan was a proud Republican and supporter of a party that has carried on his fight for conservative principles of economic opportunity and limited government,” Ahrens said. “His likeness is used by thousands of Republicans each year who gather around the country for ‘Reagan Dinners,’ and his library regularly hosts debates for our presidential candidates. Given that the Reagan Foundation just recently hosted the Trump family to raise money for its organization and has not objected to us using President Reagan’s likeness before, their objection came as a surprise.”

Trump has often used Reagan’s political rhetoric in his own campaign. His famous slogan, “Make America Great Again,” was first used by Reagan in his 1980 presidential campaign.

Trump responded to the Reagan Foundation’s request in Twitter by calling out Frederick J. Ryan Jr., who chairs the Reagan Foundation board, is also publisher and CEO of The Washington Post.

Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh told New York Post that Ryan wants to “interfere” in the Trump reelection campaign, echoing Trump’s tweet.

“It should be no surprise that the publisher and CEO of the Washington Post wants to interfere with President Trump’s re-election campaign. As Republicans, we all honor Ronald Reagan’s contribution to this country and our party,” he said.