Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, is an active member of Donald Trump’s female fan club “the Trumpettes”, frequently sending messages to the group and even flying to attend one member’s birthday party.
Earlier this week Rinehart was photographed at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Largo presidential campaign launch, captured in the back of a selfie by the former president’s son Eric Trump.
Rinehart’s support for Trump is well known. The mining magnate was one of the special guests at Trump’s state dinner during former prime minister Scott Morrison’s 2019 visit to the White House, and has publicly praised the former president.
What’s less known is Rinehart’s long-time membership to the Trumpettes, an international supporters group for female fans of Donald Trump, as noted this morning by Seven US correspondent David Woiwod.
Founded in 2015 by socialite Toni Holt Kramer and three other women, the group tasked its members with one mission: “Your job as a Trumpette is to help get the real Donald J Trump elected, not the one the press wants you to believe in.”
Rinehart is listed on the group’s website as a member, and the Trumpettes’ social media accounts have chronicled Rinehart’s extensive history with the group.
“What an exciting weekend at Mar a Lago [sic] (The Winter White House), and a warm welcome to my newest Trumpette Gina Rinehart from Australia who has been visiting MAL,” a 2018 Facebook post read, accompanied by photographs of Rinehart among members of the group.
The account detailed Rinehart’s lobbying efforts for Morrison to take a more Trump-like approach to governing Australia: “As a foremost voice with her prime minister to our president Trump, she advocates for less red tape and drafting rules that uncomplicate the growth and economy of her country,” one post read.
In 2019, Rinehart flew her private jet to Palm Beach, Florida, with her cousin Deborah and climate denialist geologist Ian Plimer to celebrate the birthday of Trumpette founder Kramer’s husband, according to a post by Kramer. (The menu was tomato and red pepper gazpacho followed by a lemon and white chocolate mousse according to the Palm Beach Daily News.)
Other times, Trumpettes’ social media accounts posted messages purporting to be on behalf of Rinehart, like a birthday message in June 2018.
Dear Mr President,
Happy birthday! I hope you have a wonderful day.
Thank you for all you are doing for the USA, and for others to see and I hope learn from and copy. You are an incredibly strong, courageous and hard-working leader, the USA especially is so very fortunate. If only there were hundreds of thousands more like you!
I hope you are able to enjoy your birthday, or preferably, your birthday month. Please keep well.
All best wishes.
Your Aussie friend, and Trumpette!
Gina Rinehart
Another post included a video created by The Daily Wire, a conservative news website founded by commentator Ben Shaprio, which it claims was sent by Rinehart.
And just prior to the 2020 election, the Trumpettes posted what they said was Rinehart’s ringing endorsement of Trump in which she hit out at “Obama’s cages at the border” and “violence in the streets of Democratic-run cities”.
You see Trump’s arrogance, I see Trump’s confidence.
You see Trump’s nationalism, I see Trump’s patriotism.
You hear Trump’s unsophisticated words, I hear Trump’s honesty.
You see Trump’s racism, I see Trump’s words being misconstrued and twisted by the media daily to fit their narrative.
You see Trump as a Republican, I see Trump as a Patriot. You see Trump as a dictator, I see Trump as a leader.
You see Trump as an Authoritarian, I see Trump as the only one willing to fight for our freedoms.
You see Trump as childish, I see Trump as a fighter, unwilling to cave in to the lies.
You see Trump as an unpolished politician, I see Trump as a breath of fresh air.
You see Trump as homophobic, I see Trump as the first President who has ever entered office supporting gay marriage.
You think Trump hates immigrants, I know Trump is married to an immigrant.
You see Trump putting an end to immigration in America, I see Trump welcoming immigrants to America LEGALLY.
You see Trump’s cages at the border, I see Obama’s cages at the border.
You see Trump with a struggling economy, I see Trump with an amazing economy until the Democrats shut it down.
You see the violence in the streets and call it “Trump’s America”, I see the violence in the streets of Democratic run cities who are refusing Trump’s help and call it “Liberal America.”
You want someone more Presidential, I’m happy we have someone who finally doesn’t just talk the talk but actually walks the walk.
You and I? We see things very differently. And that’s ok, that’s what makes this such a great country!
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