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Salon
Politics
Timothy Evans

Trump now a "motivational speaker"

Donald Trump Scott Olson/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump has found another way to cash in on his presidency, as he is now the headline "motivational speaker" on the "American Freedom Tour (AFT)."

Tickets to attend the political rally-type events range anywhere from $9 to more than $4,000 -- depending on how much face time with Trump and his cohorts you desire, according to an exclusive Axios report.

The least expensive ticket gets viewers admitted to a conference room where they can watch the event on a television. The most expensive ticket gets the buyer a round table and photo op with the former president, prime seating directly in front of the stage and opportunities to hobnob with former Sec. of State Mike Pompeo, former Trump adviser Dinesh D'Souza and Donald Trump, Jr.

The events are privately run, with the next one scheduled for Saturday, May 14, in Austin.

Trump's appearances essentially are a way for him to remain in his public's eye, promote his his MAGA agenda and get someone else to pay him to do it. AFT was founded by Chris Widener, a veteran of the lucrative motivational speaker industry. He told Axios "most all of our speakers get paid an honorarium for the event," but he declined to disclose Trump's fee.

Widener said, "The American Freedom Tour is not a Republican-aligned event or a Trump-aligned operation."

But, he added, "both President Trump and Donald Trump Jr. are incredible speakers and we are happy to have them on our tour." The tour's message, he says, is "Faith, Family, Finances and Freedom."

 

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