Republican presidential candidate offers gift cards to incentivize donors

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, is offering prospective donors an incentive to contribute to his campaign in the form of gift cards.

The first 50,000 people who give at least $1 to his campaign will receive a $20 Visa or Mastercard gift card, The Hill reported, in an article that suggested the scheme amounted to "paying people to donate to his presidential campaign."

Burgum announced his candidacy in early June, but has largely failed to gain significant traction in an already crowded primary field. He currently holds 0.1% support in the RealClearPolitics polling average while only a single poll comprising that metric shows him with more than 0%.

The Republican National Committee last month announced the qualifying standards for candidates to appear on the first debate stage, including that a candidate earn at least 1% in three different national polls or a combination of two national polls and an early primary state poll. Burgum stands well below that threshold.

Candidates must also have at least 40,000 unique donors and at least 200 unique donors from at least 20 states and territories.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.