Former President Donald Trump’s fundraising efforts have seen a slight increase in February, with his campaign and political action committee raising a combined $15.9 million. This is up from the $13.8 million raised in January, but still falls short of President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party’s fundraising numbers. Trump’s campaign Communications Director, Steven Cheung, highlighted the need for a return to “America First” policies that were successful during his presidency. However, Biden campaign Communications Director Michael Tyler dismissed Trump’s fundraising efforts, criticizing his extreme agenda and lack of support from key voters.
In contrast to Trump, Biden’s political operation raised $53 million in February and ended the month with $155 million on hand. This includes joint fundraising efforts with the Democratic National Committee, showing a strong financial position for the Biden campaign. His main campaign account raised $21 million in February and ended the month with $71 million on hand. The full financial picture for Biden’s political operation will be available in April when additional committees are due to file reports.
The monthly fundraising numbers reported by the two Trump committees are crucial for his operation, but they represent only a portion of the overall picture. The Save America committee has been primarily used to cover Trump’s legal fees for various court cases, with legal spending accounting for 85% of its total operating expenses in the first two months of the year. Trump’s February fundraising numbers did not include any joint fundraising with the Republican National Committee, but his campaign recently set up joint fundraising operations with the RNC after his last major opponent, Nikki Haley, dropped out of the GOP primary.
Overall, Trump’s political operation is still facing challenges in catching up to Biden and the Democratic Party in fundraising. While there was a slight increase in fundraising numbers in February, Trump’s team will need to work on expanding their financial support in order to compete effectively in the upcoming election. With Biden’s strong fundraising numbers and support from key voters, Trump will need to focus on refining his agenda and engaging with a broader base of donors to boost his campaign’s financial resources. The dynamics of the 2024 presidential race continue to evolve, with fundraising playing a critical role in shaping each candidate’s ability to compete.
