In a highly unusual move, Donald Trump’s Save America PAC paid $650,000 for the official portraits for Trump and his third wife, Melania, that will hang in the Smithsonian’s America’s Presidents exhibition in the National Portrait Gallery, Politico reports.
Typically, the Smithsonian itself undertakes fundraising from private individuals to pay for the portraits, with commissions going to the artists and additional money going to costs such as those affiliated with displaying the painting, promoting the debut of the portrait, and maintaining the exhibition.
Trump, however, apparently directed his PAC to use money his rubes have donated to the self-proclaimed billionaire to either overturn the results of the 2020 election, pay for recounts, support his various lawsuits relating to the election, fund Trump’s legal defenses in dozens of lawsuits, and other Trump fundraisers.