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The Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested he was fishing for donations, announcing "The wait is over!" and posting a link to the official website, TRUMPCARD.GOV to allow potential applicants to sign up for updates. The website has a gold card printed with Trump's face, signature and with the number $5,000,000 — the amount you pay for admission.
Program Seeks to Raise $1 Trillion
At a recent conference Lutnick said that 200,000 wealthy individuals who sign up for the program could drive $1 trillion in revenue for the U.S. He stressed that all the applicants would be "deeply vetted" and expected to bring businesses, jobs and tax dollars to the country.
"This is not for everybody," Lutnick said. "It's for those who'd like a Plan B, who can afford to come and invest in America and be a meaningful contributor." He said it would be a way to help pay down the American debt and he compared the trip to the 280,000 visas that the United States gives away each year for free — a process he contrasted with the contribution-focused model of the Trump Card.
Controversy and Timing
The announcement comes as Trump wages a campaign against illegal immigration in the U.S. and as calls grow louder for a shift in immigration policy.Critics are anticipated to fight the moral and legal logic behind buying citizenship with wealth, especially at a time when student debt and inequality take center stage as domestic issues.
Still, Trump's office is presenting it as a common-sense approach to wooing high-quality global talent and reaping huge government revenue without tax hikes. The waitlist is now open, though the complete application process should roll out in the next few weeks.
