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Political Party/527

Defeat by Tweet

Website:

defeatbytweet.org/faq
Type:

Political Fundraising Group
Formation:

2020
Founder:

Xander Schultz

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Defeat by Tweet is a Democratic-aligned super PAC that allows liberal donors to sign up to contribute as little as 1 cent to political organizers in battleground states for each time President Donald Trump posts to Twitter. Its money supports the Justice Fund, a coalition of African-American-focused liberal groups in politically competitive states. 1

It was launched with support from self-described “trained Marxist” Patrisse Cullors,2 one of the co-founders of Black Lives Matter. 3

Background

The Defeat by Tweet group raises money for liberal groups in swing states each time President Donald Trump makes a post to his controversial Twitter account. 4 The organization is powered by the Momentum app, established in 2019, that allows automatic donations to nonprofits. 5

The super PAC also replies to President Trump on Twitter and shows a “receipt” of how much each tweet raised for the organization. 6

Donations, which are made in President Trump’s name, go to the Justice Fund, which it says is a “portfolio of Black-led grassroots organizations.” 7 The Justice Fund seeks increased leniency in the criminal justice system and left-progressive social policies. 8

Donors can set a donation amount per Trump tweet. Whenever President Trump tweets, the set amount is taken from the donors account and sent to liberal groups in competitive states. 9

Donors may set a cap for their monthly donations. 10

Founders

Xander Schultz, CEO of the Silicon Valley technology firm Complete Labs, founded the organization in June 2020. 11 Schultz founded One for Democracy and worked in Silicon Valley and was on the founding teams of two consumer social productivity technology companies Complete and Kifi, which was acquired in 2016 by Google. Schultz co-founded the refugee aid organization When We Band Together with his wife Zoe. 12

Schultz said Trump, who has more than 82 million Twitter followers, averages 30 tweets per day, or about 900 per month, to put into perspective how much money could be raised. 13 Schultz said that hours after the launch, about 1,000 donors committed to the organization, with an average donation of about $175 per tweet. Actors Noah Centineo and Olivia Wilde were among the early supporters. 14

Also involved in founding the group was billionaire former hedge fund manager Mike Novogratz, who pledged $1 million to the organization. 15

Novogratz said the effort would help Democrats in down-ballot local races across the country in 2020, stating: “The single best thing to help criminal justice reform is to actually invest in these races. That’s how people get to the ballot box and more than likely those people will also vote against Trump.” 16

Partner Organizations

The Defeat by Tweet super PAC is run in collaboration with Xander Schultz, Momentum, Movement Voter PAC, Liquid Soul, the SOZE Agency, the Social Good Club, TaskForce, and the One for Democracy Action Fund. 17

Schultz also teamed with Color of Change President Rashad Robinson and Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation co-founder Patrisse Cullors to launch the effort. 18

Defeat by Tweet states that on the 15th of each month, Momentum withdraws the previous month’s donation balance from donors’ funding source into the Defeat by Tweet PAC. It distributes to Movement Voter PAC, which then contributes 100 percent of donations to the Justice Fund. 19

The Justice Fund, the liberal group that receives the funds, is a group of 22 Black-led politically left-leaning organizations in battleground states. Among these organizations are Color of Change, Electoral Justice Project, Black Church PAC, Black Voters Matter Fund, Michigan Liberation, Detroit Action, Our Voice Our Vote Arizona, 1Hood Power, 215 People’s Alliance, and SONG Power. 20

References

  1. FAQ. Defeat by Tweet. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://defeatbytweet.org/faq
  2. Steinbuch, Yaron, “Black Lives Matter co-founder describes herself as ‘trained Marxist’,” New York Post, June 25, 2020. Accessed August 5, 2020. https://nypost.com/2020/06/25/blm-co-founder-describes-herself-as-trained-marxist/
  3. Hahm, Melody. “Defeat by Tweet: New Super PAC Uses Trump’s Go To Tool Against Him.” Yahoo Finance. June 26, 2020. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-tweets-super-pac-fundraising-for-black-communities-ahead-of-november-elections-002231034.html
  4. FAQ. Defeat by Tweet. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://defeatbytweet.org/faq
  5. Chen, Stacy. “Tech Executives, Activists Launch Super PAC to Stop President Trump’s Reelection by Using His Tweets Against Him.” ABC News. June 27, 2020. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tech-executives-activists-launch-super-pac-stop-president/story?id=71485619
  6. Schwartz, Brian. “Democratic Activists, Tech Execs Plan to Launch Super PAC That Will Use Trump’s Own Tweets Against Him.” CNBC. June 26, 2020. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/26/democrats-plan-super-pac-that-will-use-trumps-own-tweets-against-him.html
  7. FAQ. Defeat by Tweet. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://defeatbytweet.org/faq
  8. Devaney, Jason. “Dem Super PAC to Raise Money Off Trump Tweets.” Newsmax. June 26, 2020. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/twitter-super-pac-defeat-by-tweet-silicon-valley/2020/06/26/id/974277/
  9. Defeat by Tweet Home Page. Accessed Sept 12, 2020. https://defeatbytweet.org/
  10. FAQ. Defeat by Tweet. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://defeatbytweet.org/faq
  11. Schwartz, Brian. “Democratic Activists, Tech Execs Plan to Launch Super PAC That Will Use Trump’s Own Tweets Against Him.” CNBC. June 26, 2020. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/26/democrats-plan-super-pac-that-will-use-trumps-own-tweets-against-him.html
  12. Xander Schultz. LinkedIn. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/xanderschultz/
  13. Hahm, Melody. “Defeat by Tweet: New Super PAC Uses Trump’s Go To Tool Against Him.” Yahoo Finance. June 26, 2020. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-tweets-super-pac-fundraising-for-black-communities-ahead-of-november-elections-002231034.html
  14. Hahm, Melody. “Defeat by Tweet: New Super PAC Uses Trump’s Go To Tool Against Him.” Yahoo Finance. June 26, 2020. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-tweets-super-pac-fundraising-for-black-communities-ahead-of-november-elections-002231034.html
  15. Hahm, Melody. “Defeat by Tweet: New Super PAC Uses Trump’s Go To Tool Against Him.” Yahoo Finance. June 26, 2020. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-tweets-super-pac-fundraising-for-black-communities-ahead-of-november-elections-002231034.html
  16. Schwartz, Brian. “Democratic Activists, Tech Execs Plan to Launch Super PAC That Will Use Trump’s Own Tweets Against Him.” CNBC. June 26, 2020. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/26/democrats-plan-super-pac-that-will-use-trumps-own-tweets-against-him.html
  17. FAQ. Defeat by Tweet. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://defeatbytweet.org/faq
  18. Hahm, Melody. “Defeat by Tweet: New Super PAC Uses Trump’s Go To Tool Against Him.” Yahoo Finance. June 26, 2020. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-tweets-super-pac-fundraising-for-black-communities-ahead-of-november-elections-002231034.html
  19. Xander Schultz. LinkedIn. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/xanderschultz/
  20. Hahm, Melody. “Defeat by Tweet: New Super PAC Uses Trump’s Go To Tool Against Him.” Yahoo Finance. June 26, 2020. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-tweets-super-pac-fundraising-for-black-communities-ahead-of-november-elections-002231034.html
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