Former President Trump is urging Republicans to donate directly to him rather than the GOP

Former President Trump said people should donate to his PAC and not Republican committees.
Trump's statement said donations to the GOP would be supporting "Republicans in name only."
Trump's Save America PAC has raised more than $31 million according to OpenSecrets.com.
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Former President Donald Trump is trying to siphon donations away from the Republican National Committee and into his political action committee fund.

Trump, who recently flirted with starting his own political party, dubbed The Patriot Party, sent a letter warning donors to avoid supporting RINOs, or Republicans In Name Only.

-Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 9, 2021

"No more money for RINOS. They do nothing but hurt the Republican Party and our great voting base - they will never lead us to Greatness," his tweet-length statement said. "Send your donation to Save America PAC at DonaldJTrump.com. We will bring it all back stronger than ever before!"

Fine print on the site clarifies that the Save America joint fundraising committee donates 90% of its funds to Save America PAC, with 10% going to MAGA PAC. Neither PAC is directly affiliated with the Republican party.

Trump's Save America PAC has raised more than $31 million, according to OpenSecrets.com.

Become a founding member — Trump's PAC website encourages visitors to "become a founding member of the Save America team."
DonaldJTrump.com

Trump's relationship with GOP standard-bearers has been rocky since he left office in January.

In February, he called Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a "dour, sullen, unsmiling political hack" after McConnell upbraided Trump for stoking the January 6 Capitol insurrection.

Trump told reporters last month that he would support Republican challengers to any GOP members of Congress who voted to impeach him. "Where necessary and appropriate, I will back primary rivals who espouse Making America Great Again and our policy of America First," he said, according to Bloomberg.

This week he specifically attacked "disloyal" Sen. Lisa Murkowski, threatening to travel to Alaska to campaign against her.

This latest fundraising drive comes on the heels of Trump sending out cease and desist letters to several top Republican campaign committees, warning them against using his image for fundraising without his approval. To appease Trump, the RNC opted to move part of its spring retreat to Mar-a-Lago, Insider's Grace Panetta reported.

Trump was expected to announce his bid for the 2024 presidential nomination during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held in February but demurred. Instead, he once more baselessly claimed he had won the 2020 election, teasing that 2024 might offer him a third election win.

"But who knows," he said, "I may even decide to beat them for a third time."

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