Trump Donated to Kamala Harris’s Campaign When She Was California Attorney General
Years before either came close to the White House, Donald J. Trump gave $6,000 to her re-election campaign. His daughter, Ivanka, gave $2,000.
# Trump Donated to Kamala Harris’s Campaign for California Attorney General
Years before either came close to the White House, Donald J. Trump and his daughter, Ivanka, donated a total of $8,000 to Kamala Harris's campaign to become California's attorney general. This was long before the potential presidential showdown between former President Trump and Vice President Harris in November 2024.
Mr. Trump's first donation of $5,000 came in September 2011, with an additional contribution of $1,000 in February 2013, according to state records. Ivanka Trump also contributed $2,000 to Ms. Harris's campaign in 2014.
A spokesman for Mr. Trump downplayed the donations, suggesting they were made when Mr. Trump was a businessman and knew how to "play the game" with "corrupt politicians."
The donations also coincided with a class-action lawsuit against Trump University, which Ms. Harris's office did not pursue. Officials working for Ms. Harris denied any connection between the donations and the lack of action on the lawsuit.
Ms. Harris, influenced by both California's tough-on-crime 1990s and the Bay Area's progressive politics, has been a significant draw for Democratic donors. Her 2024 presidential campaign raised over $50 million within 24 hours of its launch on Sunday.
This article includes reporting from Jazmine Ulloa, a national politics reporter for The Times, and contributions from Maggie Haberman.