A Twitter user fooled Trump by setting up fake accounts and raising $7,384 for the non-existent ‘Gay Voices for Trump’ organization

• Using fake Twitter accounts, a 21-year-old from Pennsylvania raised more than $7,000 for a bogus “Gay Voices for Trump” campaign, according to The New York Times. 
• Josh Hall reportedly impersonated President Donald Trump’s brother, sister, and son Barron – and Trump said, “Thank you” on Twitter.
• GoFundMe reportedly said the money raised for “Gay Voices for Trump” was withdrawn, while Hall told the Times he didn’t have the money. 
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With a series of fake Twitter profiles impersonating President Donald Trump’s inner circle, a 21-year-old was reportedly able to raise $7,384 in a GoFundMe campaign for a bogus organization, “Gay Voices for Trump.”

Pennsylvania’s Josh Hall posed as both the president’s brother and sister, along with his son Barron, according to a report from The New York Times. Each of the accounts he created was suspended by Twitter.

Hall reportedly created an account pretending to be Elizabeth Trump Grau, the president’s sister. When another Twitter user posted a story about Trump Grau’s new account, Trump said on November 20, “Thank you Elizabeth, LOVE!”

Hall also reportedly created a series of accounts imitating Robert Trump, the president’s brother. The Twitter account @BigRobTrump had 25,000 followers before being shut down, while @UncleRobTrump ballooned to 77,000, according to the report.  

Hall used some of the attention to start a fundraiser for an organization that reportedly didn’t exist, calling it “Gay Voices for Trump.”

The now-finished campaign was created on GoFundMe on July 9, 2020, under the tag "Business & Entrepreneurs." The organizer was listed as "Josh H." from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. As Hall shared it on Twitter, it quickly gained traction.

By July 27, it had raised $2,595 of its goal of $10,000, according to an indexed version of the page saved by The Internet Archive that day. Dozens of donors were listed as giving mostly small donations, ranging from $5 to $100.

The GoFundMe drive was a "grassroots coalition of LGBT Americans who support the re-election of our 45th President."

The summary said: "Too often, the voices of LGBT conservatives are not heard and we are not given a seat at the table... that is what we're going to change with this organization. I will be using my platform to amplify and elevate the voices and stories of LGBT conservatives. All donations will go toward field organizing, events and merchandise. The goal is to make Gay Voices For Trump a nationwide movement. Any and all donations we receive are greatly appreciated and will go a long way to help our organization as well as the re-election of President Trump. Have a great day."

It ended with a simple: "TRUMP 2020."

Hall also used his fake Trump accounts to promote a Twitter account that seemed to show his own face, under the name @TheBiTrumpGuy. That account had shared messages that promoted "Gay Voices for Trump," and it was also suspended as of Wednesday.  

Hall told The New York Times that the money raised was never withdrawn from GoFundMe, while GoFundMe told the newspaper that it had been. Twitter and GoFundMe didn't immediately respond to requests for further comment on Wednesday.