CHUCK TODD (HOST): Donald Trump's campaign may have all sorts of problems, but one thing we know, it's been good for business -- his business. Trump's campaign spends liberally, at Trump-owned properties and businesses, according to the FEC. So let's take a look at where the money specifically has been going, and keep in mind, all of this is perfectly legal.
We'll start with Eric Trump's businesses. The Trump campaign paid nearly $5,000 to Eric Trump Wine Manufacturing. It spent over $91,000 to rent out three different Trump golf clubs in Florida for events. $136,000 to Trump restaurants including Trump Grill and Trump Cafe in Trump Tower. Over $420,000 to rent Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. That also doubles as his vacation home.
There's been more than $430,000 of Trump campaign money spent on rent at the Trump Tower. Of course, it's his Fifth Avenue skyscraper that does double as Trump's campaign headquarters.
And the biggest expense of all has been $4.6 million the campaign has paid to Tag Air, which is the name of Trump's private airline.
All told, the campaign has spent over $6 million at Trump-owned businesses out of about $63 million spent through the end of May.
So 10 percent of all campaign spending has gone back to Trump or Trump affiliated businesses. Again, none of what Trump is doing is illegal.
In fact, Trump says he wished he didn't have to pay to use his own properties but he's required to by law. Still as the AP noted this week, businessmen Steve Forbes and Michael Bloomberg both walled off their campaigns from their own companies, and of course, he was in Scotland this week, not to talk Brexit but to open a new Trump facility.
