Trump Pledged $100,000 Donation to Limbaugh Fundraiser

By Michael Crowley | @CrowleyTIME | April 18, 2011 | +

When Donald Trump called into Rush Limbaugh’s radio show on Friday he got things started on a striking note: by announcing he would donate $100,000 to Limbaugh’s annual “Leukemia/Lymphoma Cure-A-Thon” fundraising drive. Here’s a transcript:

DONALD TRUMP: I think that’s fantastic. Okay, so here’s the story. You ready?
RUSH: Yeah.
DONALD TRUMP: Okay — and you can treat me terribly after I do this. It doesn’t make any difference to me how you treat me.
RUSH: Wait a second. Donald, I was wrong, it was over $3 million last year.
DONALD TRUMP: So in honor of you, because I love your show and whenever I can, I listen — and it’s not easy when you’re a business guy, right?
RUSH: I know.
DONALD TRUMP: Because, you know, the timing isn’t so great.
RUSH: That’s exactly right.
DONALD TRUMP: But I listen a lot. In honor of you, $100,000.
RUSH: Oh, my gosh! (chuckles)
DONALD TRUMP: That’s in honor of you, and now you can go and really beat me up. Go ahead, Rush.

Far be it from me to question Trump’s motives in announcing lucrative support for the charitable cause of the country’s most influential conservative talk radio host just as they begin a live interview. But do note that Rush did not exactly go on to “beat [Trump] up.” In his very first question Rush cited Trump’s recent poll numbers, before asking: “When you started this, did you think that you would be at the top of the heap this quickly?”

Trump’s showy donation is also in line with his recent efforts to broadcast that he would be–sorry, Mitt–the richest guy in the 2012 GOP field.

TIME has asked for confirmation/comment about the donation from Trump, and I’ll post if we get it.

Related Topics: Republican Party

@TIMEPolitics

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