Trump has taken a keen interest in raising huge sums for projects he holds dear, like renovating the White House Ballroom. A ‘princess of darkness’ is helping him. Know who she is.
A new report claims President Donald Trump has taken an unusually direct role in fundraising during his second term, helping generate roughly $800 million for a variety of initiatives. And there is a Floridian, who he has dubbed “princess of darkness” who has been helping him in this.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump stays closely involved, frequently calling his chief fundraiser Meredith O’Rourke, sometimes late at night, to track who is donating and how much. He has also pushed her to seek significantly larger contributions from corporations, with some asks reportedly reaching $50 million.
O’Rourke, whom Trump has nicknamed “the princess of darkness,” is said to make forceful appeals when approaching donors.
As cited by the WSJ, she often tells potential contributors: “This is very important to the president. He’s asked me to call you and ask you for this donation.” In some cases, the pitch is even more direct: “The boss wants this money.”
Who Is Meredith O’Rourke?
Meredith O’Rourke has emerged as a central figure in his aggressive fundraising push, helping drive hundreds of millions of dollars into key projects during his second term.
A seasoned Florida-based fundraiser, O’Rourke previously worked on Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns before being tapped to lead fundraising for the 2024 race, according to a NDTV report. After that election, as wealthy donors and corporate figures began arriving at Mar-a-Lago with multimillion-dollar contributions, Trump urged her to accelerate efforts rather than scale back.
“Strike while the iron is hot,” he reportedly told her, a line he has since repeated in private conversations.
Despite holding no official government post, O’Rourke maintains a strong presence in Trump’s inner circle. She is often seen alongside him at the White House, has attended meetings with corporate leaders discussing business-related matters, and has travelled on Air Force One with senior officials.
She frequently shares photos with Trump, including from the Oval Office, and has described him as a mentor.
Beyond fundraising, she also occupies key positions within Trump’s broader network, serving as a director at Trump Media & Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social. She also sits on the board of the National Park Foundation, which is linked to the Trump-backed Freedom 250 initiative.
A Money Trough
The approach appears to have delivered substantial results. Funds have been raised for projects such as a proposed White House ballroom, Trump’s presidential library, political action committees and events tied to the nation’s recently celebrated 250th anniversary.
Among the notable contributions listed in the report are $50 million from SoftBank for the library, $25 million from Apple for the ballroom, $10 million each from Meta and Microsoft, and an additional $5 million from Amazon directed toward a Trump-aligned Political Action Committee (a fancy name for lobbying groups that often fund political campaigns, among other things).
The report further states that top donors are often invited to private, high-profile gatherings at the White House, including candlelit dinners, where they may face further fundraising requests. In one example, an executive was reportedly approached for another $1 million within days of making a similar donation.
Some analysts say this reflects a broader shift in corporate-political dynamics. Blair Levin described it as “The Trump Transaction Tax,” adding: “Another way of saying it is simply that we’re replacing the free market with the market for Trump’s affections.”
Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley also remarked on the scale of the effort, saying, “Trump is shattering all fundraising paradigms in regards to hitting up corporate America for donations. The scope is mind-bogglingly large.” He added, “We used to talk about the Lincoln bedroom being for sale [under Bill Clinton], but this is just a wholesale money trough that’s totally different.”