Democrats said the performance resembled something from North Korea, but when U.S.A. Freedom Kids opened a Trump rally in Pensacola, Florida in January, they certainly caught national attention. Now, according to the Washington Post, Jeff Popick, parent of a performer, plans to sue the Trump Campaign for violating alleged verbal agreements.
If Popick’s allegations are true, it doesn’t look good for Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump. In addition to other broken promises, Popick claims the Trump Campaign offered Freedom Kids a table where they could sell merchandise at the rally in Pensacola, rather than pay them to perform (Popick asked for $2,500). When they arrived, there was no table.
Popick also says he fronted the cost for a trip to Des Moines, Iowa, where a day earlier the Trump Campaign had called and asked if Freedom Kids could perform at the event. When they arrived, they were told there was a change of plans and they would not be performing. After, Popick says, “He was passed around between staffers; calls went unreturned even after calls were promised.”
What a mess. First, as an author, it bugs me when artists aren’t compensated for their work. I’ve been to plenty of events where speakers are offered tables in lieu of speaking fees, but those event organizers are usually pretty broke. Donald Trump is allegedly a billionaire. He can’t afford to pay the opening act at a major rally?
As a former entrepreneur, however, I have learned to always get every agreement in writing. What kind of fly-by-night act is Jeff Popick running, where he doesn’t insist on a written contract from a major presidential campaign? If I were a judge, I would throw Popick out of court for having no basis for his complaint. Unless he has witnesses, he can’t prove a verbal agreement was made.
Still, if this is the way the Trump Campaign does business, it doesn’t bode well for its future success. Last minute scrambling, cancellations, broken promises, and unreturned phone calls is all evidence of a disorganized mess. Even if Trump himself is not to blame, he is responsible for hiring his campaign staff. What kind of people will he use to fill federal offices? Trump claims to always choose “the best” people for the job, but this embarrassing fiasco calls that into question.
M.A. Kleen 