Reagan Foundation Asks Trump Campaign To Stop Using Reagan’s Likeness

The Reagan Foundation has asked the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee to stop using President Reagan’s likeness in fundraising campaigns.

What We Know:

• The RNC launched a fundraising campaign offering donors a limited-edition commemorative Trump-Reagan gold coin set, featuring the line “Ronald Reagan and yours truly”. The Reagan Foundation contacted the RNC and Trump campaign to ask them to stop using the former president’s likeness. RNC communications director Michael Ahrens told CNN that the “objection came as a surprise”.
• RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel responded to the request with a tweet, pointing out how the Reagan Foundation has benefitted financially from the Trump administration. Ahrens also mentioned the Trump family benefitting the Reagan Foundation while speaking with CNN, and he added that the RNC’s use of Reagan’s likeness was “appropriate” and that they’d pull their fundraising pitch “as a courtesy”.

The Republican Party has used President Reagan’s image for decades.

But since the Reagan Foundation is suddenly opposed to it, are they going to return the money @DonaldJTrumpJr and @kimguilfoyle raised for them just 8 months ago?https://t.co/LYkopMfjmg

— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) July 26, 2020

• President Trump also responded to the request by tweeting about it. He pointed out that Frederick Ryan Jr. is both the Reagan Foundation’s chairman and CEO of The Washington Post to continue blaming mainstream media. He also threw shade at Paul Ryan, who is a board member for the Fox Corporation, calling the recent Fox News presidential election polls “phony”.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1287455273473507330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1287455273473507330%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Freagan-foundation-trump-rnc-president-likeness%2F

• Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh echoed the president by directing blame to the media. “It should be no surprise that the publisher and CEO of the Washinton Post wants to interfere with President Trump’s reelection campaign,” Murtaugh told CNN.

The recent Fox News polls found Joe Biden ahead of Trump in Michigan and Pennsylvania, both states where Trump won in 2016. The Reagan Foundation has not responded to the RNC’s and Trump campaign’s comments.