Trump, RNC report raising $105 million
For Democrats, Buttigieg’s $24M tops Sanders’ $18M
WASHINGTON — The battle for campaign cash is escalating as President Donald Trump posted a massive second quarter haul on Tuesday, while a fresh-faced Indiana mayor outraised Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the most prominent names in Democratic politics.
Trump’s $105 million take reflects the incredible resources at his disposal as he prepares to fight for reelection. And South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s $6 million advantage over Sanders shows the intense competition the Vermont senator is facing in a crowded primary.
Together, the early numbers emerging from top campaigns preview the challenges that lie ahead, particularly for Democrats. While Trump amasses a fortune, Democrats worry their long, potentially divisive primary will give the president an advantage going into the general election.
“The danger here is that Trump gets a free year to meddle,” said Ben LaBolt, the national press secretary for President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign.
Second quarter fundraising numbers don’t need to be reported to the Federal Election Commission until July 15, but often campaigns give an early glimpse, particularly if they had a good haul.
So far, only Buttigieg and Sanders have released their numbers, with Buttigieg garnering $24.8 million and Sanders pulling in $18 million and transferring an additional $6 million from other accounts. Yet to be seen are highly anticipated figures from former Vice President Joe Biden and California Sen. Kamala Harris, who saw a fundraising surge after her breakout performance during last week’s Democratic debates.
Trump’s haul includes money raised by the Trump campaign, Trump’s joint fundraising entities and the Republican National Committee. The Democratic National Committee, meanwhile, is raising money to support the party’s eventual nominee.
Sanders’ campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, attributed the campaign’s cash gulf to Sanders’s rejection of high-dollar fundraisers, which Buttigieg has embraced. Instead, Sanders’ campaign is fueled by small-dollar online donations from a blue-collar base, he said.
“It is the kind of support that we would take any day of the week over cushy, closed-door, high-dollar fundraisers in New York City, in which people eat Parmesan-encrusted salmon on a toothpick,” Shakir said.