“Quit defrauding people!”: GoFundMe launched for Donald Trump’s $350M fine in civil fraud case sparks backlash online

Recently, Donald Trump was found guilty in New York of civil fraud. Now, in an attempt to help the former president pay back the $355 million fine he received, his followers are trying to gather money.

After a trial that lasted several months, New York Judge Arthur Engoron penalized Trump approximately $355 million on Friday, February 16. Following the lawsuit launched in September 2022 by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the trial's objective was to ascertain the amount that Trump and his associates would have to pay.

Soon after, a GoFundMe page was set up to raise the money on his behalf. After the final verdict of the trial, internet fundraising raised over $192,167 of the $355 million goal in just one day.

Meanwhile, once the screenshot of the page was uploaded on X by Elena Cardone, it garnered a lot of backlash from netizens, with many taking to the comment section of the post to criticize the entire thing.

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Netizens slam the GoFundMe page launched in order to raise money to help Donald Trump pay for his fine

The fundraiser created by Elena Cardone received backlash (Image via Facebook / Donald J. Trump / Elena Cardone)

The ex-president of the USA, Donald Trump, was found guilty by the court months after the New York Attorney General's office brought a lawsuit against him for falsifying his assets in financial documents.

As suggested by Attorney General Letitia James, the case's judge, Justice Engoron, issued an order on Friday, February 16, directing Trump and his businesses to pay a hefty $354,868,768 fine.

The GoFundMe page is dedicated to raising money to pay Trump's fine. (Image via GoFundMe)

Now, Donald Trump's followers have taken matters into their own hands by creating and contributing to a GoFundMe to cover the fee, even though the president has stated that he plans to fight the ruling.

The wife of real estate investor Grant Cardone, Elena Cardone, created the GoFundMe campaign. Elena said that the fund's primary goal is to demonstrate support for Trump and other MAGA supporters during the call for donations.

Cardone wrote in the description of the page:

"I stand unwaveringly with President Donald Trump in the face of what I see as unprecedented and unfair treatment by certain judicial elements in New York."

Elena then praised the former US President's administration by pointing out:

"Throughout his presidency and beyond, Trump has fought tirelessly for this country, risking everything to preserve the freedoms and principles that define us as a nation."

She further wrote:

"The recent legal battles he faces are not just an attack on him, but an attack on the very ideals of fairness and due process that every American deserves. It's a moment that calls into question the balance of justice and the application of law, disproportionately aimed at silencing a voice that has been at the forefront of advocating for American strength, prosperity, and security."

The page, "Stand with Trump; Fund the $335M Unjust Judgement," has so far received over 4300 donations, totaling over $192,167. Aaron Jones sent the largest donation, which was $5,000. While some donors went over and beyond the $1000 mark, others made lesser contributions in the $10 to $500 range.

However, once the page and the news of the page went viral, it garnered criticism from the netizens. They took to the X post of Elena Cardone to slam her and the entire initiative.

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Newsweek requested comments from Cardone via GoFundMe and from Donald Trump's campaign via email. No one got back with a comment. Cardone has likewise remained silent on the matter as a whole.