By BY THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN from Opinion in the New York Times-https://ift.tt/2KxC7kB American politics will be shaped by the influence of the monarch of Mar-a-Lago. Will Trump Force Principled Conservatives to Start Their Own Party? I Hope So New York Times

#Repost @peopleforprogressworldwide ・・・ The super PACs that raised tens of millions of dollars to help elect President Trump have seen their fundraising slow dramatically since the election. Of the five largest big-money machines the support Trump during the presidential election, only two are still pulling in contributions. Another super PAC that formed just after Trump’s inauguration is already idling. In eight months last year, the pro-Trump super PAC Rebuilding America Now pulled in $22.6 million, including from donors such as billionaire Bernard Marcus, real estate developer Geoffrey Palmer, and Trump’s now Small Business Administrator, Linda McMahon. The private prison company GEO Group also threw in $275,000. That fundraising slowed to a crawl in the first half of 2017, and the PAC only brought in a single $5,000 donation. Experts note that it’s not unusual for campaign-related fundraising to dry up after an election is over. “It's not surprising to see some of them winding down and shutting down shop because their job is done, he's been elected,” said Michael Beckel, the manager of research, investigations and policy analysis at Issue One. Still, Beckel added that since super PACs can accept donations of unlimited amounts, “you don't have to fundraise year round. A big donor.... can bring a super PAC back from the dead with relative ease.” Rebuilding America Now did receive $1.5 million “offset” to expenditures it had budgeted but never spent, however, so it still has $1 million left in the bank. It did spend more than $950,000 on overhead costs, including travel, hotel stays and almost $3,000 at BLT Prime, the steakhouse in Trump's Washington hotel. Chris Martson, who is listed as the group’s treasurer, did not respond to a request for comment about whether the group’s fundraising would be ramping up again or what the plan is for the rest of its money. The other pro-Trump super PACs active in 2016 included Make America Number 1, Future 45, Great America PAC, and the Committee to Defend the President, which had been previously known as Stop Hillary PAC. #news #trump #gop #donaldtrump #republicans #republicanparty #republican #superpac #conservati

From an ongoing series I’m doing on recognizing American fascism.