Donald Trump has promised a $25,000 donation to Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, the Marine released Friday from a Mexican prison after 214 days of confinement and physical abuse.
Trump announced the donation on Twitter on Monday.
In a follow up
interview with Fox News host Greta Van Susteren, he explained that he hopes the money will help Tahmooressi directly, and not get gobbled up by the legal fees he and his family racked up trying to free him.
"He's got, obviously, some difficulties. It's a very sad situation," said the real-estate mogul, referring to Tahmooressi's PTSD, sustained while serving in Afghanistan.
"He depleted all his savings to try to defend himself," said Susteren.
"I hope the lawyers don't take it all. You know, I know lawyers better that most, and they'll hear about the $25,000 and they're going to grab on to it… I really want this money to go to him, not his lawyers," said Trump.
Tahmooressi was arrested by Mexican officials in March after accidentally taking the wrong road exit, which led him across the border with three weapons in his car. Mexican police imprisoned him for possession of the weapons, which are illegal over the border.
Tahmooressi's mother, Jill, then began a campaign to free him, a campaign that was soon bolstered by Susteren and talk show host and Marine veteran Montel Williams. With the help of California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, California Rep. Ed Royce, former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, and Arizona Rep. Matt Salmon, Tahmooressi was eventually freed, but only after suffering greatly in prison.
Many had called on President Obama to speak out on Tahmooressi's behalf, but he nor anyone at the White House ever lifted a finger.
"The president not stepping forward was a slap in the face to veterans," said Rohrabacher
told The Washington Times on Saturday. "The president didn’t care about it enough to make a simple phone call."
As for Trump, he hopes his donation will help Tahmooressi get the treatment he needs to help him move on to the next phase in his life.
"I think that this $25,000 will be the beginning of getting somebody who's a good person back with his life — hopefully a much better life than he's had," said Trump.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.