According to documents made public on Saturday, former President Donald Trump established himself as his party's most potent fundraiser in the first six months of the year, collecting a political treasure chest of $102 million by the end of June.
His aides claimed he raised $82 million during that time, despite part of the monies came from accounts that were requesting donations last year.
The figures, which are enormous for an ex-president who has been banned from social media, demonstrate the strength of Trump's internet donor network and the vast financial resources available to him if he decides to run for President a third time. They also demonstrate how the former president has profited financially despite alleging the election was rigged in his favor.
Trump has continued to aggressively solicit funds from supporters since leaving office, largely based on unfounded concerns of voter fraud in the 2020 election. His claimed haul surpassed that of his party's House and Senate campaign arms, with the Republican National Committee trailing by only $84 million in the first half of the year.
Former President Barack Obama has been explicit with supporters about how they should spend their money: on charities approved by him alone, rather than through the party's conventional fundraising channels. In his first speech since leaving office, he told the Conservative Political Action Conference in February that the audience should give straight to him.
“There is only one way to help us elect ‘America First' Republican conservatives and, as a result, make America great again,” Trump added, referring to Save America PAC and DonaldJTrump.com.
From January through June, that PAC raised $62 million. Trump is raising money through his Make America Great Again PAC, a repurposed campaign account, as well as a joint fundraising committee that directs funds to both. In addition, to Save America, a leadership PAC set up by Trump shortly after his loss last November, the former president is also raising money through his Make America Great Again PAC, a repurposed campaign account, and a joint fundraising committee that directs funds to both.
Trump has vast discretion over how he spends the money, including on travel and political activities, and has hinted that he may use it to sway next year's midterm elections, assist candidates he supports, and exact retribution on those who have spoken out against him. As his company faces growing scrutiny, his prolific fundraising allows him to tap another source of funds.
So far, Trump has kept the majority of the funds, declining, for example, to fund the ongoing ballot review in Arizona or efforts to launch comparable initiatives in other states.
“This man has no intention of going away,” said Dan K. Eberhart, a big Republican fundraiser and the CEO of Canary Oil Services in Colorado, who has previously criticized Trump. “The $64,000 question for me is how much money he'll spend on primaries. Is he going to put it aside for himself, or is he going to spend it all on five different House races?”
“It seems like he's going to go all out for his chosen people,” Eberhart said.
