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This Guy Is Crowdfunding His Way To A Mar-a-Lago Membership

Did you want to shake President Trump earlier this week when it was revealed that he had openly discussed a North Korea missile test while having dinner on a terrace at his Mar-a-Lago golf club, in full view of other diners? Believe us, you are not alone. But don't fret. If all goes according to John DeVore's plan, nothing like that will ever happen at Mar-a-Lago again. Who is John DeVore, you ask? He's a Brooklyn-based writer and editor, and the bona fide genius behind "Help Me Buy A Mar-a-Lago Membership" — a GoFundMe page where DeVore is attempting to raise $200,000 to cover the initiation fee for membership at Mar-a-Lago, so he can join the club and go talk some sense into the president.
"I'm going to be a hero and I'm going to go become a member of this swanky state," DeVore told Refinery29. "If I see the president discussing the country's business with his golf buddies, I'm going to stroll right up and say, 'No, no, no. Don't do that.' Because those of us with credit card debt, those of us who are struggling, those of us who are making ends meet, need to be represented at Mar-a-Lago." Jokes aside, what really drove DeVore to the edge was the fact that Trump "would allow such access" to people who are paying to be members of the club. (It is also worth noting that the Mar-a-Lago initiation fee doubled from $100,000 to $200,000 after Trump was elected). "There's something about the fact that he was able to increase the membership fee at this swanky resort and then essentially give access to the wealthy there...That's offensive," DeVore said. "This is a president who basically told a number of Americans, 'I will advocate [for you], your feelings of economic pain. I will push back on lobbyists, I will push back on Wall Street.'" He added, "The one thing I want to talk about is the fact that the 1% has access to the president and the president expressly said he would advocate for the other 99%." His frustration over that disparity led to the idea to create the GoFundMe page earlier this week. So far, he has raised only $770, but the campaign is still brand-new. If he succeeds in meeting the $200,000 goal, he anticipates two possible outcomes: Either he will end up in a sauna with a bunch of billionaires, or the resort will take his money and kick him out before he can step a foot inside the club. If he doesn't reach the goal, he plans to contribute whatever proceeds have been raised directly to Planned Parenthood. "Twitter activism and social media activism is good, but there's people out there who are on the front lines fighting for your life," he said. "Finding creative ways to raise money for organizations that have your political self-interest at heart is a good way to get involved." Will DeVore become the people's hero and be able to make his way into the "Winter White House"? Who knows. But that's not really what matters for him. "Regardless of whether I make the $200,000 — that's not the point," he said. "Talking about [Trump's] many hypocrisies is important, and if the money can go to a worthy cause, even better." To read DeVore's hilarious pitch in full or to make a donation, check out the posting here.

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