Trump Card (2020 film)

{{Infobox film

| name = Trump Card

| image = Trump_Card_poster.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = {{plainlist|

Dinesh D'Souza
Debbie D'Souza
Bruce Schooley

}}

| producer = Dinesh D'Souza

| writer = {{plainlist|

Dinesh D'Souza
Debbie D'Souza
Bruce Schooley

}}

| based_on = {{based on|The United States of Socialism|Dinesh D'Souza}}

| starring = Dinesh D'Souza

| narrator = Dinesh D'Souza

| music = Bryan E. Miller

| cinematography =

| editing = Harvey Cohen

| studio = D'Souza Media

| distributor = Cloudburst Entertainment

| released = {{Film date|2020|10|9}}

| runtime = 106 minutes{{cite web|title=Trump Card Reviews|url= https://www.metacritic.com/movie/trump-card |website=Metacritic|access-date=July 13, 2020}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Trump Card is a 2020 American political documentary film produced, co-written, and co-directed by right-wing political commentator and filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza. The film focuses on "the corruption and gangsterization of socialism in the Democratic Party as embodied by the two remaining presidential candidates, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden." It was originally scheduled to be theatrically released on August 7, 2020, but was later delayed to a digital distribution on October 9, 2020.

Premise

D'Souza described the film as "an exposé of the socialism, corruption and gangsterization that now define the Democratic Party. Whether it is the creeping socialism of Joe Biden or the overt socialism of Bernie Sanders, the film reveals what is unique about modern socialism, who is behind it, why he says it's evil, and how we can work together with President Trump to stop it."

Release

The film was initially set to be released by Cloudburst Entertainment in the United States on August 7, 2020, two weeks before the 2020 Republican National Convention.{{cite web|url= https://www.thewrap.com/dinesh-dsouza-trump-card-august/|title= Dinesh D'Souza's 'Trump Card' Due Out This August in Time for GOP Convention |author= Brian Welk|date= March 16, 2020 |access-date=July 12, 2020}} It was later delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic keeping most domestic theaters closed, and was rescheduled for a digital release sometime in September.{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt12109842/?ref_=bo_se_r_1|title= Trump Card (2020) |website= Box Office Mojo |access-date=July 12, 2020}}{{cite web|url= https://heavy.com/entertainment/2020/08/trump-card-movie-release-date-delayed/ |title= D'Souza's 'Trump Card' Movie's Release Date Delayed Until September |website= Heavy.com |author= Stephanie Dube Dwilson

|date= August 7, 2020 |access-date= August 7, 2020}} D'Souza later announced the film would be made available via DVD and video-on-demand on October 9, 2020.{{cite tweet |user= DineshDSouza |number= 1296557063452209152 |title= BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: My new film "Trump Card" will be available on demand October 9. Also on DVD. This way every American can see it. Here's the official trailer. Enjoy and please share! |date= August 20, 2020 |access-date=August 29, 2020}}

Reception

= VOD rentals =

In its debut weekend, Trump Card was the top-rented film on Apple TV and Google Play and second on FandangoNow.{{cite news |date= October 12, 2020 |last=Brueggemann |first=Tom |title= Pricey 'Mulan' Still Near Top of Streaming Charts, Along with 'Ava' and 'Trump Card' |url= https://www.indiewire.com/2020/10/mulan-streaming-charts-ava-trump-card-1234592205/ |website=IndieWire |access-date= October 12, 2020}} In its second weekend, it remained first at Google Play, while finishing second at Apple TV and third on Fandango.{{cite news |date= October 19, 2020 |last=Brueggemann |first=Tom |title= Paramount Takes 'Love and Monsters' to PVOD and It's a Hit |url= https://www.indiewire.com/2020/10/love-and-monsters-pvod-paramount-hit-1234593726/ |website=IndieWire |access-date= October 20, 2020}} By its third week it placed fifth at Fandango, second at GooglePlay, and eighth at Apple TV.{{cite news |date= October 26, 2020 |last=Brueggemann |first=Tom |title= 'After We Collided' Is a Smash with Small Pricetag, While 'Unhinged' Makes Its PVOD Debut |url= https://www.indiewire.com/2020/10/after-we-collided-unhinged-pvod-debut-1234595249/ |website=IndieWire |access-date= October 27, 2020}}

= Critical response =

Writing for The A.V. Club, Vadim Rizov gave the film a grade of "F", saying: "By this point, D'Souza is unconvincingly frothing on the soundtrack about how 'the socialist left and the Democrats want to make us grovel' and 'make us worms,' but the whole premise is, predictably, a radical, cynical misunderstanding of Orwell."{{Cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/dinesh-d-souza-distorts-and-fulfills-george-orwell-s-wa-1845326924 |publisher=The A.V. Club |date=October 9, 2020 |access-date=October 10, 2020 |language=en-US |last=Rizov |first=Radim |title=Dinesh D'Souza Distorts and Fulfills George Orwell's Warnings in His Worthless Trump Card}} Mike McGranaghan of The Aisle Seat gave the film one out of four stars and wrote: "D'Souza is merely preaching to the choir. Any possibility of convincing moderate or liberal viewers is pretty much zero, thanks to unreliable commentators and manipulation of basic facts."{{Cite web |url= https://aisleseat.com/trump-card.html |publisher= The Aisle Seat |date=October 9, 2020 |access-date=October 14, 2020 |language=en-US |last= McGranaghan |first=Mike |title=Trump Card Review}}

Hunter Biden controversy

A centerpiece of the film is the promotion of theories involving Joe Biden's son, Hunter, and the idea that he was involved in illegal activity while his father was Vice President.{{Cite web|last=Bond|first=Paul|date=2020-10-05|title=Dinesh D'Souza's "Trump Card" explores Hunter Biden, socialism|url=https://www.newsweek.com/dinesh-dsouzas-trump-card-explores-hunter-biden-socialism-1536157|access-date=2022-01-29|website=Newsweek|language=en}} One example is when D'Souza describes the idea of impropriety in regard to a supposed payment of $3.5 million to Hunter Biden from the wife of the mayor of Moscow. This accusation, referenced repeatedly by Donald Trump in the first 2020 presidential election debate, has not been substantiated.{{Cite web|last=Brewster|first=Jack|date=September 30, 2020|title=Trump Repeatedly Raised Hunter Biden's Alleged $3.5 Million Payment From A Russian Billionaire—Here's What That Is|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2020/09/30/trump-repeatedly-raised-hunter-bidens-alleged-35-million-payment-from-a-russian-billionaire-heres-what-that-is/|access-date=2022-01-29|website=Forbes|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Stanglin|first=Doug|date=October 1, 2020|title=Fact check: Claims that Hunter Biden received $3.5M from Russia are unproven, lack context|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/10/01/fact-check-unproven-claims-hunter-biden-got-3-5-m-russia/3586861001/|access-date=2022-01-29|website=USA Today|language=en-US}}

The accusation of impropriety with Moscow, before the release of Trump Card, came to prominence through an investigation of the Biden family by Senate Republicans. Though the Senate report argued a possibility of criminal activity,{{Cite web|last=Naham|first=Matt|date=2020-09-23|title=Republican Report on Hunter Biden Alleges Human Trafficking Link|url=https://lawandcrime.com/2020-election/gop-senators-report-on-hunter-biden-treasury-records-show-potential-criminal-activity-links-to-eastern-european-prostitution-or-human-trafficking-ring/|access-date=2022-01-29|website=Law & Crime|language=en}} and was attacked as politically motivated and flawed by figures including Mitt Romney,{{Cite web|last=Bobic|first=Igor|date=2020-09-16|title=Mitt Romney Slams Ron Johnson's Probe Into Hunter Biden|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hunter-biden-burisma-romney-johnson_n_5f62277ec5b65fd7b857d803|access-date=2022-01-29|website=HuffPost|language=en}}{{Cite news|last1=Ross|first1=Jamie|last2=Brodey|first2=Sam|date=2020-09-23|title=Senate Republicans Release Hunter Biden Hatchet Job Weeks From Election Day|language=en|work=The Daily Beast|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/senate-republicans-release-hunter-biden-hatchet-job-weeks-from-election-day|access-date=2022-01-29}} no concrete criminal evidence manifested against Hunter Biden or his father.{{Cite web|last=McGuill|first=Dan|date=September 29, 2020|title=The Republican Senate Report on Hunter Biden, Explained|url=https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/09/29/hunter-biden-senate-report/|access-date=2022-01-29|website=Snopes|language=en-US}}