The National Republican Congressional Committee must figure it can't receive enough genuine donations, resorting to scare tactics to keep their coffers full. The group, which is committed to getting Republicans elected to the House, has a donation page with a prechecked box – and a threat that reads: "If you UNCHECK this box, we will have to tell Trump you're a DEFECTOR."
From The New York Times:
Those donors who do not proactively uncheck the box will have their credit cards billed or bank accounts deducted for donations every month.
The prechecked box is the same tactic and tool that resulted in a surge of refunds and credit card complaints when used by Mr. Trump's campaign last year, according to an investigation published by The New York Times over the weekend. The Trump operation made the language inside its prechecked boxes increasingly opaque as the election neared. Consumer advocates and user-interface designers said the prechecked boxes were a "dark pattern" intended to deceive Mr. Trump's supporters.
The Trump operation issued more than $122 million in refunds in the 2020 cycle, which was 10.7 percent of what Mr. Trump's campaign, the Republican National Committee and their shared accounts raised. Refunds increased as the campaign began prechecking the boxes, which at one point withdrew donations every week as well as introduced a "money bomb" that doubled a contribution.
Foul play – big lies, threats, cheating, bullying – is the Republican way, so why should threats for checks come as a big surprise? It doesn't.
Image: Deposit Photos
