President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign reportedly has raised over $30 million during the first quarter of 2019.
The Associated Press defined the $30 million plus $10.8 million the campaign already had in its coffers — for a $40.8 million total — as an “unprecedented war chest for an incumbent president this early in a campaign.”
By contrast, the president’s top two Democratic opponents, Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris, raised $18 million and $12 million respectively, and former President Barack Obama only had $2 million in his campaign coffers at this point in the 2012 campaign.
Trump’s campaign reported an average donation of $34.26, with 99% of its donations being $200 or less, according to the AP report.
Brad Parscale (L), campaign manager for US President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign, speaks with supporters during a campaign rally, in Estero, Florida, on October 31, 2018. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP/Getty Images)
In more good news for Trump’s reelection effort, the Republican National Committee hauled in an additional $45.8 million in the first quarter of 2019, totaling a combined $82 million already in the coffers to re-elect the president.
Trump’s formal reelection effort began shortly after taking office in 2017.
In a statement, campaign manager Brad Parscale said the president “is in a vastly stronger position at this point than any previous incumbent president running for re-election, and only continues to build momentum.” (RELATED: Tucker Carlson: Maybe Trump Doesn’t Want To Be Re-Elected. Here’s Why)
AP reported on the breakdown of Trump’s reelection fundraising entities:
Trump’s fundraising with the RNC is divided between two entities: Trump Victory, the joint account used for high-dollar gifts, and the Trump Make America Great Again Committee, the low-dollar digital fundraising operation known internally as “T-Magic.” The campaign is set to launch a traditional “bundling” program — which it lacked in 2016 — in the coming weeks. Bundlers are mid-tier donors who bring in contributions from their associates.
Together, the Trump entities have raised a combined $165.5 million since 2017.
Republicans are reportedly closing the long-existing gap with Democrats in online fundraising with the help of Parscale, the campaign’s former digital media director.