The latest fundraising email of President Donald Trump came with a subject line designed to provoke: “Are you an illegal alien?” Then, below that line, supporters were directed to take the campaign’s “citizen-only survey.”
The email’s body text was equally direct. “I reached out last week about my Citizens Only Survey. My file says you’re a top MAGA patriot. But my records to my survey STILL say: response pending,” it read. “Don’t tell me you’re an illegal alien?!?!?”
Many think the messaging was designed to prompt supporters to respond. However, the larger context made the message feel callous to many observers.
So @BrianKarem just shared on FB this incredibly creepy fundraising email from Trump, threatening to sic ICE on people who don’t respond. How absolutely sick these people are. The scams never end with him. pic.twitter.com/YSMu0WCUeb
— John Aravosis 🇺🇸🇬🇷🏳️🌈 (@aravosis) January 28, 2026
Earlier this month, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. Then, days after that, Border Patrol officers also shot and killed Alex Pretti during a federal immigration operation. Both deaths left millions shocked and sparked immediate protests across the Twin Cities, with residents demanding that ICE be removed from the state.
Making things worse is White House adviser Stephen Miller and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem characterizing both Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti as “domestic terrorists.” Local officials in Minneapolis were quick to push back on those labels, even if the Trump administration had already established the narrative.
As a matter of fact, the Customs and Border Protection officers who fired on Alex Pretti were placed on paid administrative leave after the shooting. The two officers, as per reports, met with mental health professionals and received three days off. They will also be assigned to desk duty if they return to work.
This @realDonaldTrump fundraising email would be hilarious if it wasn’t targeting seniors who likely fall for it… pic.twitter.com/UAaCE8Vhe9
— winston (@winston8smith) January 28, 2026
The investigations into both shootings remained ongoing. However, the Trump administration’s message was clear: these actions are necessary to secure the border.
Into that environment came Donald Trump’s fundraising email. The campaign had also sent similar appeals two weeks earlier, when Donald Trump asked supporters for donations with an even more theatrical pitch. That email featured a black and white portrait of the president, who wrote that he was “sitting here. Alone. In the war room. Fighting for you. The rest of the staff went home hours ago.”
“It’s just me, one dying laptop, and the 72-hour countdown clock to my first mid-month deadline of the year just RANG,” the earlier email said. “We are going to have to ACT FAST!”
Trump just sent another weird email to his fans telling them to “pick up the phone” so they can donate money to him. He says his calls aren’t getting through because the Dems don’t want MAGA to see his “critical” memos. Such an obvious grift and scam. pic.twitter.com/NynAe8iLBf
— Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) January 22, 2026
The email then pivoted to a fear-based messaging and warned the readers that the borders would be open “forever should Democrats win back the House and Senate in the fall. It also suggested widespread brainwashing of kids and confiscating guns if Republicans lose their power.
On Tuesday, border czar Tom Homan was dispatched to Minneapolis to oversee federal immigration enforcement operations there. He had a meeting with the city’s police chief alongside Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz. Later that day, President Donald Trump shared on social media that the meeting was “a productive starting point.”
But the fundraising email suggested a different strategy. Rather than trying to lower tensions or rebuild trust in a city traumatized by federal enforcement, the campaign used the crisis to motivate supporters and raise donations. The “Are you an illegal alien?” subject line wasn’t meant to be an inquiry. Many think it was designed to provoke, to shame, and to motivate action—all in service of raising money.
