Yeah, we can laugh at the GoFundMe effort to pay Donald Trump’s $450 million judgment handed down in the New York City fraud trail.  (The fund now has more than $560,000 in donations from 7,200 suckers.) But the hard fact of the matter is that Donald Trump claims he’s going to appeal the judgment, which by law in New York, means he needs to put 120% of the amount due up to file the appeal.

Remember, there are two cases Trump says he’s appealing, both of which require cash up-front:  E. Jean Carroll will tie up about $85 million over the course of Trump’s appeal, and his New York financial fraud case will require at least half a billion to finance the appeal.  Estimates put Trump’s cash reserves between $400- and $600 million, meaning that if he needed to put his own money up for it, he could foot most of the bill, but it would be crippling.

So what’s Trump do?  Sure, GoFundMe might be able to cover the difference–oh, and don’t forget the tax such crowdfunding efforts incur; you don’t want to add to Don’s problems, do you?–but it would literally take years at this pace.  He’s precluded from doing business with any financial institution in New York. And what bank without a relationship with him would loan him the money?  Who–oh, who?–will?

While many have speculated that Trump’s endorsement of Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law with no marketable skills, to be co-chair of the Republican National Committee meant all donor money will go to him, they’re probably not wrong.  But it won’t go to fund Trump’s private court judgments.  Lara will spend the money on his legal fees in DC, Florida and Atlanta.  Don’s on his own in New York.  And that goes with the Super PACs as well:  there’s really no way for them to legally justify spending money on funding Trump’s appeal, and this is way too much money to have it fly under the radar.

That leaves the most likely source:  a private lender.  A major political benefactor–think Peter Theil–could front the money.  But then, a potential President of the United States would publicly owe a billionaire–maybe American, maybe not–a huge some of money.  (Trump, in his Trumpian way, will say such loans are common among people like them who are “really rich,” just like Clarence Thomas sincerely believes old white billionaires suddenly discovered how scintillating he was after he was appointed to the Supreme Court.) That gives Democrats a lot of fodder for ads and attacks, plus having every Republican down ticket defend it.

Of course, Trump could take the path he did after he was booked in Georgia:  he used a bail bondsman, posting 10% instead of the full amount.  But the $200,000 in the Fulton County case is three digits short of the New York amount, and Trump will have to work with companies to get the amount for a surety bond–all while having to provide them with accurate information about the property he’ll use as collateral for such a bond.  And if you’re one of those surety companies, would you believe him?  Plus, Trump would still have to pay the companies a high fee for the use of their money and that will not be cheap:  10% would be gracious.

The final, most desperate measure for Trump would be for him to sell one of his prized properties.  With Melania off the market thanks to the Emancipation Proclamation, Trump would have to find a buyer for a golf course or two.  And this leads to further questions about why someone would buy the property and for whatever price it’s/they’re sold for?

Remember how conservatives cried Hunter Biden only made money on his paintings because of his father’s influence?  Well, imagine that for a Party’s nominee for President.  How much more would someone pay to get on Donald Trump’s good side when he’s in crisis?  Free market economics outlines that a person needing cash will sell something at a lower price than when they’re in a more stable financial situation.  If the Trump properties sell above market value… isn’t that bribery?

A normal politician–even the most pre-MAGA ones–would have stepped aside by this point, knowing that the appearance of impropriety and potential for extortion was just too great.  Trump, of course, won’t admit it.  And unfortunately, neither will his followers.