NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump's fundraising increased last month, but his political campaign is still struggling to catch up with President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party in inflows of money.
The Trump campaign and Save America Political Action Committee, two of Trump's main political campaign committees, raised a combined $15.9 million in February, according to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday night. He reported that he had more than $37 million in cash at the end of the month.
It's from January, When the committee raised just $13.8 million.. Mr. Trump handily won the Nevada and New Hampshire primaries in February, greatly dimming the chances of a Republican challenger overtaking him in the presidential race.
“Americans know that President Trump was better four years ago than crooked Joe Biden and his disastrous policies. We will keep our country safe and stimulate our economy for all Americans. “We need a return to the America First policy that we have successfully created,” Trump campaign communications director Stephen Chan said in a statement.
Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler was unimpressed, saying in a statement: “If Donald Trump put up numbers like these on 'The Apprentice,' he would kill himself.”
“But this is why he doesn't understand: His extreme and harmful policies to ban abortion, cut Social Security, and promote political violence are repelling donors and the voters who make decisions.” We have done absolutely nothing (asterisk) to gain support from this election. ”
On the other hand, the Biden camp He said his political campaign has raised $53 million. Cash on hand from last month to the end of February was $155 million. This includes joint fundraising with Biden and the Democratic National Committee. The full story will not become clear until April, when some committees of his political activities are expected to submit their reports.
His main campaign account raised $21 million in February and left him with $71 million at the end of the month, according to his latest filing with the FEC.
The numbers reported monthly by Trump's two committees are key to his fundraising efforts but only part of the picture, with other committees expected to report updated numbers in April. . The Save America committee has paid most of Mr. Trump's legal fees in his various lawsuits. Legal spending accounted for 85% of total operating expenses in the first two months of this year, about the same as in 2023 (when such expenses were about 89%). It has spent $8.5 million in legal fees so far this year.
President Trump's February numbers do not include fundraising at the Republican National Committee. Earlier this month, days after his last major opponent, Nikki Haley, dropped out of the Republican primary, Trump's political team took over the cash-strapped RNC and installed a new leadership team.
The campaign launched a joint fundraiser with the RNC this week.
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Kessler reported from Washington.
