WASHINGTON – Donald Trump’s campaign and his Republican allies raised more money than President Joe Biden in April, marking the first time the former president topped the Democratic incumbent in monthly fundraising during the 2024 campaign.
The Trump campaign, combined with the Republican National Committee, hauled in $76 million in April, considerably more than the $51 million raised by the Biden campaign, Democratic National Committee and other joint fundraising arms, according to the campaigns and filings submitted Monday with the Federal Election Commission.
Trump outraised Biden despite spending much of the April reporting period on trial in a New York courtroom. The campaign − as had been widely anticipated − benefitted from Trump becoming the presumptive Republican nominee, allowing it to combine fundraising efforts with the RNC.
Biden’s fundraising in April was well below the $90 million his campaign raised in March, which included a lucrative fundraiser hosted by former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and slightly less than the $53 million Biden and his joint campaign committees raised in February.
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Trump’s April fundraising was boosted significantly by a Palm Beach, Florida, fundraiser at the home of billionaire investor John Paulson, which Reuters reported brought in a record-setting $50.5 million.
Still, Biden enjoys a sizable cash-on-hand advantage. The Biden campaign ended April with $84.5 million on hand to spend and a combined war chest of $192 million when including other fundraising committees. The Trump campaign reported having $49 million cash on hand.
For months, the Biden campaign has boasted about its fundraising lead over Trump, who has been saddled by legal fees in multiple criminal and civil court cases. Fundraising and campaign organization are areas the Biden team claims to have the upper hand while most polls show Biden trailing Trump in the election.
But in a reversal, the April figures gave the Trump campaign ammunition to hit Biden.
“The only people left in America who support Crooked Joe Biden are out-of-touch billionaires in Hollywood, and it turns out even they are done giving to a failing campaign,” Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said, calling Trump’s fundraising haul “especially remarkable” given his daily court appearances.
Biden’s campaign ended April with slightly less in the bank than the $85 million it had at the beginning of the month, reflecting spending that significantly ramped up the past two months to pay for television ads and expanded staff. The Biden campaign reported spending $25.2 million in April after spending $29.2 million in March. The Biden campaign spent $6 million in February.
Biden campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa, in a statement, stressed Biden’s continued cash-on-hand edge and accused Trump of “selling out Americans to big corporations and billionaires” to raise campaign funds.
In June, Biden will get an assist from Hollywood allies when actors George Clooney and Julia Roberts, along with Obama, are set to host a host a high-dollar fundraiser in Los Angeles, NBC News reported.
This article was originally appeared on USA TODAY
