WASHINGTON — Donald Trump has an enthusiastic base and a polling advantage in swing states. He does not have anywhere near the amount of money as his rival, President Joe Biden.
Financial woes have become a major vulnerability for the presumptive Republican nominee as he enters what is expected to be the most expensive presidential election in history. Trump has racked up millions in legal bills, and faces a Monday deadline to post bond for a $454 million civil judgment, compounding the problem.
The gulf between the two candidates’ bank accounts is stark. Biden and the Democratic Party began March with $155 million, according to the president’s campaign. That’s more than three times the $50 million Trump and the Republican National Committee had on hand, according to their most recent Federal Election Commission filings. Adding Trump’s allied super political action committee brings his total to $76 million, still well short of Biden.
Other super PACs that backed Trump in the past and support Republican congressional candidates have $26 million on hand, according to the latest federal filings. By contrast, Biden-allied super PACs have $64 million, with groups pledging to spend at least $900 million to aid the president’s reelection.
The former president’s team is trying to close the gap. Trump national finance director Meredith O’Rourke has ramped up prospective donor outreach, according to people familiar with the effort. The goal is to secure checks now to show Trump has a viable campaign cash apparatus.
A Trump spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Trump is personally calling wealthy donors, people familiar with the appeals said. Potential contributors have been invited to dine at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida or attend fundraisers at private homes. On Super Tuesday, the main Trump super PAC held a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser for high-net-worth donors,…
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