Longtime Democrat fundraiser and Kamala Harris critic Lindy Li has been named to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fundraising committee, a surprising move that has been met with overwhelming support from donors.
Li, who previously served as a member of the Democratic National Committee’s national fundraising committee, left the Democratic Party last month, citing its culture of finger-pointing, vitriol, and blame. She was critical of certain spending decisions made by Harris’s campaign and voiced concerns about party leadership “permitting no dissent, no criticism.”
Despite her departure from the Democratic Party, Li said that she is finding it easier than expected to build a base of Republican donors. She noted that many of the donors she is working with are familiar faces, including some who were previously major contributors to the Democratic Party.
Trump’s inaugural committee has raised a record-shattering $170 million in donations, with proceeds used to fund both the inauguration weekend and longer-term projects, such as a presidential library. Donors are shelling out big-time to attend exclusive VIP events, including intimate dinners, black-tie galas, and sit-downs with Cabinet nominees.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are among the tech executives who have announced plans to donate at least $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. The committee is expecting donations to climb higher to upwards of $200 million.
Li said that the demand for access to the inauguration events has been unprecedented, with some donors offering as much as $1 million to gain access. Despite some donors being turned away due to space limitations, Li said that the reception from donors has been “overwhelmingly positive,” with many expressing enthusiasm to work with the administration in the future.
