Donald Trump has hit out at Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue, issuing a presidential memorandum to curb what he claimed were unlawful straw donor and foreign contributions to American elections facilitated through the platform.
In a memo, the Republican President directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate ActBlue, an online donation platform used by left-wing groups, over claims they have engaged in schemes “to launder excessive and prohibited contributions” to politicians.
Why is ActBlue Controversial?
ActBlue has recently been criticized by Republicans who have claimed it processes foreign donations, something that is prohibited directly and indirectly under federal law. ActBlue deny these claims.
In August 2024, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican, raised concerns about what he said was “suspicious” donor information collected by the platform.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
Meanwhile in October, Wisconsin Representative Bryan Steil sent the platform a letter asking for information and documents about how it verifies donors. This resulted in ActBlue implementing policies to automatically reject donations made by foreign cards and other certain gift cards.
In March, Ohio Republican Representative Darrell Issa said the treasury should investigate whether the platform facilitated donations from “terror-linked organizations and non-profits” in response to reporting in the Washington Examiner that the platform facilitated payments from an anti-Israel campaign group.
What Does Donald Trump’s ActBlue Order Say?
The memo ordered Bondi to investigate what Trump said was “extremely troubling evidence that online fundraising platforms have been willing participants in schemes to launder excessive and prohibited contributions to political candidates and committees.”
He accused “malign actors” of tying to make excess political contributions by splitting up large contributions from one source to smaller ones attributed to other individuals, sometimes without their knowledge.
This, Trump claimed, amounted to potential foreign election interference.
How Have the Democrats Responded?
In an email sent to supporters and seen by Newsweek, Ken Martin, Chairperson of the Democratic National Committee called the action “a blatant power grab” to undermine democracy. He claimed Trump made the order out of fear in response to a series of negative polls
“This is a blatant power grab designed to undermine democratic participation,” he wrote. “It’s a gross attempt to make it harder for Americans to make their voices heard — designed to stamp out the voices of grassroots supporters and further empower the corrupt billionaires who control the Trump administration.
“Simply put, it’s a direct attack on people like you who support Democrats‘ work.
“Billionaires are already running our government, and now they’re trying to get rid of tools that empower millions of grassroots donors to pitch in $5 or $10 at a time to help support Democrats across the country.
“Here’s the truth: Trump is panicking. His poll numbers are plummeting, he’s driving the economy off a cliff, and he sees Democrats gaining momentum. He’s scared about losing Congress next year — and losing his power — so he’s rigging the system. But we won’t be intimidated. We won’t be silenced.”
Meanwhile, writing on X, Mallory McMorrow, a Democrat in the Michigan Senate said Trump was motivated by “scaring” people out of donating to candidates.
“If they kneecap campaigns like ours, they can hold onto power without a fight,” she wrote.
“What Trump did today isn’t about law enforcement – it’s about intimidation.”
ActBlue told POLITICO: “ActBlue plays a vital role in enabling all Americans to participate in our democracy and the organization strictly abides by all federal and state laws governing its activities. We will always stand steadfast in defending the rights of all Americans to participate in our democracy and ActBlue will continue its mission undeterred and uninterrupted, providing a safe, secure fundraising platform for the millions of grassroots donors who rely on us.”
What Other People Are Saying
Conservatives, however, celebrated the move with right-wing X account Libs of TikTok writing on X “time to eliminate the FRAUD.”
Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley said in a statement: “The Democrats’ Dark Money scam has gone on long enough.”
What Happens Next?
In his memo, Trump directed Bondi to report her findings within 180 days.