Donald Trump has given the allusion of philanthropy for years, including showing up for charity events he was not a donor and making public promises to give to charities, but the Washington Post chronicled how that "was, in large part, a facade."
"Instead, throughout his life in the spotlight, whether as a businessman, television star or presidential candidate, The Post found that Trump had sought credit for charity he had not given — or had claimed other people’s giving as his own," the Post's David A. Fahrenthold wrote.
"It is impossible to know for certain what Trump has given to charity, because he has declined to release his tax returns."
Among the public promises Trump has made for donations, The Post has reported:
- The proceeds to Trump University.
- His salary from "The Apprentice."
- Personal donations to contestants of "Celebrity Apprentice."
- A charitable donation of $250K to Israeli soldiers and veterans.
Most of the public promises have been unable to be verified through phone calls to "420-plus charities," according to the Post, which also reported Trump's "giving has almost disappeared entirely in recent years."
The Post also chronicled claims the Trump Foundation has been largely funded by other donors and re-purposed as the Republican presidential nominee's own. Also, some of the foundation's donations have been made to Trump himself, including $264,631 for a fountain outside of Trump's Plaza Hotel, the Post reported.
Trump officials did not respond to the "70 questions" it was provided before the Post printed report, but after it was published, the Republican's campaign issued a written statement to the paper, saying Trump "has personally donated tens of millions of dollars . . . to charitable causes."
When pressed for evidence of that claim, the Trump campaign has not yet responded, according to the Post.