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Political activity
Barrack endorsed Donald Trump during the United States presidential election, 2016.[29] He was a major fundraiser for Trump's campaign through the "Rebuilding America Now" Super PAC, which raised $23 million.[16][30][31]
Barrack recommended that Trump hire Paul Manafort as his campaign manager, whom Barrack had first met in the 1970s when they were both working for Saudis and living in Beirut.[18] Barrack had later loaned Manafort $1.5 million to refinance a home in the Hamptons.[16] On April 26, 2016, Barrack began an email correspondence with one of his business partners, United Arab Emirates Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba, reassuring him that Trump had investments in the UAE. “The emails were the beginning of Mr. Trump’s improbable transformation from a candidate who campaigned against Muslims to a president celebrated in the royal courts of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi,” according to New York Times writer David D. Kirkpatrick. This is a testament to Barrack’s “unique place in the Trump world,” writes Kirkpatrick. [18] On May 26, Barrack wrote introducing Otaiba to Jared Kushner, and the two met later that month.[18] On July 13, Barrack conveyed to Otaiba that Trump had removed releasing the 28 Pages of redacted information in the 9/11 Report from the Republican Party platform.[18] On July 21, Barrack spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention.[32] In September 2016, Barrack helped set up a meeting between Trump and the Emir of Qatar in Trump Tower.[18]
Barrack served as chairman of the committee overseeing the inauguration of Donald Trump, for which he raised over $100 million, doubling the previous record.[16] Barrack hired Rick Gates to help run the inauguration and then as a consultant. He was fired the day he was indicted.[33]
After Trump became president he acted as a middleman between him and Arab princes.[34]
In a 2017 Washington Post article, Barrack commented on Trump's inflammatory rhetoric and proposals to ban immigrants from certain Muslim countries and put up a border wall with Mexico. "He's better than this," he said.[35]