Trump Campaign Raises $141 Million In May, Fueled By Guilty Verdict

Campaign officials announced that former president Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee raised $141 million in May, boosted by a surge in donations following Trump’s conviction of 34 felony counts in New York last week. This fundraising effort will likely help Trump narrow the financial gap with President Joe Biden.

Although figures announced by Trump’s campaign can only be verified once federal filings are released publicly later this month, this would represent Trump’s strongest single month of fundraising in 2024.

“We are moved by the outpouring of support for President Donald J. Trump,” announced Trump campaign senior advisors Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles.

“President Trump raised $141 million this month because Americans remember the roaring economy, secure border, and peace through strength at home and abroad under Donald J. Trump, and we will return to prosperity and success when he is reelected in November,” they added.

Lara Trump, the Republican National Committee co-chairwoman and former president’s daughter-in-law, said on Sunday that the fundraising was powered by $70 million, which Trump and the RNC raised 48 hours following his guilty conviction.

Over one-third of his May fundraising total, $53 million, came from online donations within 24 hours of Trump’s conviction. Moreover, of the over two million Trump and the RNC donations, 25% were first-time donors.

In addition to the $141 million raised for the campaign, other organizations supporting Trump received roughly $150 million in cash donations.

The primary super PAC backing Trump is MAGA Inc., but another newer pro-Trump group, Right for America, has also had some early fundraising success.

Alongside grassroots support, Trump has successfully attracted major Republican donors who had previously declined to support him during the primary race.

On Monday, billionaire venture capitalist Doug Leone, who denounced Trump after the Jan. 6 riots and instead donated millions to support Gov. Ron DeSantis‘s presidential campaign, announced he would back Trump again.

The $141 million raised consists of what are known as hard dollars, which can be directly spent by aides within the Trump campaign and the RNC.

Even before his guilty verdict was announced last week, Trump had significantly boosted his fundraising performance since becoming the presumptive Republican nominee.

While Biden has consistently held a cash advantage, raising $51 million in April on top of the $192 million he already had, Trump outraised Biden for the first time in April but still trialed by millions in cash on hand.

However, Trump’s impressive $141 million raised in May will likely close the cash gap between the Trump and Biden campaigns.

Although Biden’s team has not disclosed their monthly fundraising figures, Trump is expected to outraise Biden for the second consecutive month. Trump’s $141 million in donations equals the combined total raised by Biden and the Democratic Party in March and April.

Article by Riley Flynn