Trump Foundation Bought $20K Portrait; Clinton Fundraiser at Gagosian

According to The Washington Post, Donald Trump allocated $20,000 from his foundation to acquire a large self-portrait created by Michael Israel, who refers to himself as "the original speed painter." The artwork was purchased at a 2007 auction by Melania Trump. This incident adds to a list of dubious foundation expenditures, including a $12,000 collectible football helmet. Critics argue that Trump is among the least charitable billionaires, contributing only $3.7 million to his foundation last year, while outside donations were significantly higher. Josh Voorhees from Slate asserts that Trump has not made personal contributions since 2008 and has not participated in operational meetings. In a separate event, a contemporary art auction for Hillary Clinton's campaign occurred on September 12, 2016, in New York, organized by Gagosian, with Chelsea Clinton as a speaker. Artists such as Jeff Koons and Chuck Close participated, with ticket prices ranging from $1,000 to $50,000. This was Larry Gagosian's first public political endorsement; previously, he donated $5,000 to Mitt Romney and $2,700 to Chris Christie. The article also references the 2008 "Art for Obama" online auction, initiated by Ahndraya Parlato and others, featuring over 60 artists including Wolfgang Tillmans and Laurie Simmons.