Topline
The Republican National Committee spent more than $300,000 at businesses tied to Donald Trump and Donald Trump Jr. in March—including nearly $200,000 at Mar-a-Lago—showing that even as Trump promotes new revenue streams like crypto and Truth Social, his old assets continue generating political cash.
President Donald Trump hosts a dinner for Republican Senators at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm … More
Key Facts
Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Palm Beach club, received three payments totaling $195,000—the largest sum of any Trump business–almost all for venue rental and catering, according to the RNC’s latest filing with the Federal Election Commission.
Trump National Doral, his Miami resort, took in $85,000 for venue rental and catering.
Winning Team Publishing, co-founded by Donald Trump Jr., was paid $35,000 for donor mementos tied to Trump’s books.
Another $2,200 went to Trump Hotels, described as travel expenses.
The White House referred inquiries to the RNC, while spokespeople for the RNC and the Trump Organization did not respond to requests for comment.
Key Background
Trump maintains control over and can profit from his businesses while in office through a revocable trust—a structure he also used during his first term—of which he is both the sole donor and sole beneficiary. During his first term, political groups spent $11.8 million at his properties—including $3 million at his since-shuttered Washington, D.C. hotel, $1.8 million at the Miami resort and nearly $500,000 at Mar-a-Lago—according to the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
Chief Critic
Mar-a-Lago has replaced Trump’s D.C. hotel as the epicenter of political spending, Jordan Libowitz, a vice president at the CREW, told Forbes. Trump’s supporters had argued that they were patronizing his D.C. hotel because it was luxurious and convenient. After Trump sold it, that spending largely vanished.
Quote
“While it’s not on the scale of some of his new ventures, including his crypto businesses, it’s very much the traditional Donald Trump way of making money,” Libowitz said. “When it comes to Trump, it’s not just about a dollar figure, to a certain extent it’s about kissing the ring.”
Big Number
$5.4 million: The amount political committees have spent at Mar-a-Lago since 2016.
Surprising Fact
Before Trump ran for president, Mar-a-Lago had collected just $55,000 in political spending—less than a single month’s haul today.
What To Watch For
The RNC’s next campaign finance report, covering April 2025, is due May 20.
News Peg
While Trump profiting from his campaigns and presidencies has been a decade-long story, it’s garnered new attention recently as its extent has exploded. Trump’s second term has seen three new ways—Trump Media & Technology Group, World Liberty Financial and the $TRUMP meme coin—that allow supporters to buy into Trump-branded ventures with few concrete benefits in return.
Tangent
Trump has made at least $6.75 million from two books published by Winning Team Publishing—both largely using public or borrowed content. Our Journey Together, released in 2021, is a photo book using mostly public-domain White House images. Letters to Trump, published in 2023, compiles decades of correspondence with celebrities and world leaders.
Forbes Valuation
Forbes estimates Donald Trump is worth about $5.5 billion, with much of his wealth coming from his shares in Trump Media.
Further Viewing
Further Reading
RNC Is Paying Trump Family Member Six Figures (Forbes)
RNC Paid Trump’s Former Bodyguard $585,500 Over Four Years (Forbes)
The RNC Is Raising Funds Off Trump’s New Social-Media Platform (Forbes)
RNC Paid Trump’s Personal Attorneys Another $350,000 In March (Forbes)
Trump Says He Won’t Use Luxury Plane From Qatar After Leaving Office—Here’s What We Know (Forbes)
