President Donald Trump intensified his fundraising appeals this week by warning supporters they could face consequences if they failed to donate quickly. Some people have reacted angrily, saying Trump’s warnings resemble scam-style pressure tactics as he confronts a challenging midterm environment.
In a fundraising email last week, Donald Trump claimed Democrats would confiscate supporters’ “tariff rebate checks” to give the money to undocumented immigrants unless recipients donated within an hour.
“Troubles are BOILING OVER,” the email read. “Dems want to send your check to illegals if you don’t respond in the next hour!”
According to The Atlanta Black Star, the funds would go to Trump-aligned groups used for his own campaigns, which include the upcoming midterm elections in 2026.
“Troubles are BOILING OVER,” the email reads. “Dems want to send your check to illegals if you don’t respond in the next hour!”https://t.co/XLUQsUybHM
— The New Republic (@newrepublic) December 31, 2025
“Only a massive and immediate response will do,” the email said, urging supporters to help Trump reach his end-of-year fundraising goal by the following night or risk losing everything “we’ve worked so hard to accomplish.”
The email came after Trump confused people by suggesting Americans could get checks to offset his “Liberation Day” tariffs. Scammers quickly exploited the idea, and the Better Business Bureau warned about calls promising “unclaimed rebate checks” worth more than $5,000, with many unsure whether such programs actually exist.
Rather than distancing himself from the confusion, Trump’s fundraising operation leaned into it. A similar earlier email urged recipients to “confirm” their eligibility for the checks and claimed to be the only tariff-related message that was authorized by Donald Trump.
Cybersecurity experts and online users have raised concerns about how the Trump administration has used an “urgency” tone to create fear and panic in people. “Extreme urgency is the first red flag in cybersecurity training,” one commenter wrote on Threads. Another added, “It’s amazing how hard it is to kill evil.”
Furthermore, online users have slammed the emails, with one user asking, “How is this legal?”
Another replied, “Trump has shown the law doesn’t matter.” Progressive commentator Brian Tyler Cohen further described the tactics as alleged “financial fraud.”
Found some fraud!
— fifa award winner🏅 (@garagemahal2) December 31, 2025
Meanwhile, economists have always said that tariffs are taxes that are levied on goods and not extra funds that can later be redistributed. Nonetheless, Trump has alternately claimed his trade policies generated “millions” or “billions” of dollars, with figures varying from appearance to appearance.
The Trump administration, under Elon Musk, used the same urgency tactic last year under DOGE. Over 800 lease cancellation notices were sent out, many without notifying the federal workers who still occupied the buildings (some were sent out overnight emails, given less than 24 hours to vacate their places).
While the outrage was massive and tragic, DOGE continued claiming that it was for saving funds. DOGE’s goal was to reduce federal spending by slashing jobs and cancelling leases. It drew widespread attention until the Trump-Musk duo fell apart due to political differences, and the latter stepped down from DOGE as the advisor.
As Trump faces increasing pressure ahead of the 2026 midterms, Congress is expected to return to familiar battles over government spending, health care costs, and the threat of shutdowns, which already caused significant chaos last year across the aviation, agriculture and other primary sectors.
According to Republican supporter Jenique Jones, who voted for Trump and has since been unhappy, grocery prices have increased, people are struggling to afford day care and rent, and they are relying on credit cards. “Pretty much just a whole bunch of financial mess,” she added.
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CNN’s chief data analyst, Harry Enten, recently stated that Latinos who voted for the Republican candidate are also upset, as they claim that his promises were allegedly not kept.
This time, even though Trump is not on the ballot, the results may be volatile, and a Democratic turnover may be possible. For now, the 79-year-old has urged potential Senate and gubernatorial candidates to remain in their current roles.
