Friend,

Remember way back in the ancient era of January 2023, when the political talking class unanimously declared the Trump campaign over?

They didn’t look at the polls. They didn’t understand the fact that to Iowa voters, Ron DeSantis was indistinguishable from an ear of corn. They believed that the “omnipotent, powerful, GOP mega-donors” had rejected Trump and were ready to declare a new nominee. 

In some sense, they were right. In early 2023, donors were ready to give Trump the boot. The Florida real estate billionaires, NYC hedge fund class, and dark money heirs didn’t want their money tinged with the societally repulsive scent of MAGA. 

So they went shopping for a clone and tricked the media into thinking they were changing the momentum of the primary. 

We didn’t buy any of that B.S. here at The Lincoln Project. And I wanted to time-stamp that fact. So, when donors finally saw DeSantis for the miserable socially stunted man-child he is, we could give everyone a big fat I told you so. 

We invented The Growth Cycle of the GOP Mega-donor. 

2020: Trump is gone. 

2021: It’s Youngkin’s GOP now.

2022: DeSantis makes me tingle. 

2023: Oh no, DeSantis is melting. I’ll never leave you, candidate X!

2024: Where do you want my million-dollar check, Mr. Trump sir?

Welcome to the third stage. Don’t wait until the fourth to join the fight, we need you on the pro-democracy side now >>

Headlines like this are pretty fashionable nowadays. The DeSantis mega-donor flock is finally in search of a replacement, blind to the fact that Trump is beating everyone by 50+ points in the polls. 

I don’t really care to follow who the flavor of the week is for the GOP mega-donor. I’m following the growth cycle. And when the primaries heat up, and Trump’s campaign coffers runneth over with the billionaire cash, we’ll be right again. 

But really, I don’t care about being right. I care about keeping Trump’s grubby little fingers as far away from the nuclear codes as possible. I care about stopping him from being President.

There’s too much wishful thinking going around right now. And I’m not even talking about the drastically shrinking minority of the GOP primary who isn’t in the bag for Trump. I’m even hearing some Democratic leaders discuss the 14th Amendment to keep Trump out of office. 

Yes, the mental gymnastics these people are doing still continues to blow my mind. Don’t give into magical thinking. I implore you. 

The next time you’re talking to a family member on the phone, walking your dog with your neighbor, or at a friend’s dinner party, and someone brings up some convoluted scheme to keep Trump out of The White House, remind them of these simple words: the ballot box. 

That is where we defeat Trump. And we need your help to do it.

-Rick