Supporters of former President Donald Trump’s main Super PAC reported raising nearly $70 million in May and planning to spend $100 million on paid media before Labor Day on September 2, 2024, focusing on four key swing states.
According to a memo obtained by The Hill for stakeholders, Taylor Budowich, CEO of “Make America Great Again Inc.,” said that the organization’s significant funding is an additional supplement to the nearly $300 million raised last month by Trump’s campaign team and other pro-Trump groups.
Though the exact figures cannot be verified until campaign finance reports are made public, the explosive growth in fundraising follows Trump’s conviction on 34 counts of fraud in the New York tax case.
In the memo, Budowich wrote, “Joe Biden and Democrats may have succeeded in convicting temporarily, but the underlying political reality driving voter donations remains unchanged: voters are pessimistic about America’s future, with a majority believing the country has worsened on key issues. Trump’s favorability and job approval ratings have actually risen this year, while Joe Biden’s have declined in these areas.”
The memo outlines that the campaign team views Pennsylvania as a pivotal state in the November election, with Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada also being key targets for the former president.
According to the memo, internal polls by MAGA Inc. show Trump leading Biden in Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, and North Carolina, with the candidates neck and neck in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
The organization vows to invest $100 million before Labor Day, with the allocation reflecting their belief in Trump’s potential victories in Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
Budowich stated, “We plan to have a significant impact in Pennsylvania until November, as winning the state’s 19 electoral votes is crucial to the game.” The memo also suggests that winning Georgia’s 16 electoral votes would offer Trump the best path to the White House.
Additionally, targeted outreach campaigns will be conducted in Nevada and Arizona before Labor Day to persuade potential swing voters.
If Trump wins all the states he did in 2020 plus Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, he would secure 271 electoral votes, enough to win the presidency. Winning Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia would yield 268 electoral votes, falling short of the required 270.
“We don’t imagine this will be easy or fair, but fortunately, as long as we all continue to contribute our efforts, President Trump is fully capable of winning,” Budowich wrote in the memo. “We are conserving resources for this moment, and MAGA Inc. will continue to direct every dollar we raise directly to President Trump to ensure his victory in November.”
In contrast to Trump’s campaign, Biden’s team has maintained a healthy cash advantage, as seen in their continuous investment in paid advertisements across critical swing states where Trump has yet to allocate substantial resources.
However, Trump’s allies argue that Biden’s campaign spending only targets a portion of his base supporters and lacks significance in gaining broader popular support.
The surge in Trump’s fundraising in recent weeks can partly be attributed to public outrage following his felony conviction in the New York trial.
Decision Desk HQ/Congress Hill polling averages show Trump leading Biden by 3 points in Arizona, 3 points in Nevada, 4 points in Georgia, 2 points in Pennsylvania, and 1 point in Wisconsin. The margin in Michigan is less than a percentage point.
As of now, President Biden’s campaign funds remain ample and diverse. In early March, President Biden said to the media in Wisconsin, “The enthusiasm we feel across the country is real. We’ve raised a lot of money, with 1.5 million donors, including 500,000 new small donors, and 97% of contributions under $200.”
On March 28, a fundraiser with Presidents Biden, Obama, Clinton, and supporters raised a record $25 million, demonstrating the strong Democratic support for Biden despite challenges in poll ratings and scrutiny of his age. This fundraising event is expected to further cement Biden’s significant financial advantage in the upcoming presidential election.
By the end of April, Biden’s campaign team had a record $192 million in cash on hand compared to Trump’s $93.1 million.
However, Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016 proved that the amount of campaign funds does not necessarily dictate who will ultimately win the White House.