Though Donald Trump leads in the polls — and has generally done so since the beginning of this election cycle — his campaign has been deficient in at least one area compared to Joe Biden’s.
One advantage Sleepy Joe has had is greater fundraising opportunities and more money in his campaign war chest.
But, even with Trump entangled in politically motivated litigation, recent news showed that Biden might not hang on to this one advantage much longer.
As reported Monday by Axios, while Biden and his campaign fundraised a good $51 million in the month of April, that number paled in comparison to the $76 million Trump and the Republican Party raised.
🚨 @TeamTrump and the RNC outraised Biden by $25 MILLION in April!
The American people are taking a stand against the Democrats’ lawfare. Make America Great Again!
— GOP (@GOP) May 21, 2024
Granted, as The New York Times pointed out, Biden’s campaign raised $90 million March — thanks to his Radio City Music Hall fundraiser co-hosted by former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. His current war chest combined with the Democratic National Committee’s funds sits at $192 million, which is still much higher than Trump’s.
And Biden’s campaign has more cash-on-hand, $84.5 million to Trump’s $48 million.
Will Trump win in November?
Yes: 100% (16 Votes)
No: 0% (0 Votes)
But if Trump hosts more fundraisers like those he did in April, Fox News reported, he could possibly gain the financial advantage even despite his legal woes, which are continually drawing money from his funds.
Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “President Trump’s fundraising haul over Biden is especially remarkable when you consider he has been confined to a courtroom for nearly 9 hours a day over the past four weeks fighting against Biden’s trial,” Axios reported.
Of course, the Biden campaign had to hit back against that, with Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez contending, they have “strong, consistent grass-roots enthusiasm. Trump’s operation continues to burn through cash and lag behind our growing and aggressive campaign, with no ground game and no demonstrable interest in talking to the voters they need to win,” according to the Times.
You really think so, Rodriguez?
Because, based on what most ordinary people have seen, the only ones who have been truly enthusiastic for Biden were, in Trump’s words, “out-of-touch billionaires in Hollywood, and it turns out even they are done giving to a failing campaign.”
Now, supposing Trump could draw the Uno reverse card and continue outpacing Biden in fundraising numbers, would that be enough to guarantee him the presidency in November?
Not on its own, but a strong influx of fundraising dollars would definitely help.
Moreover, Biden’s inability to out-fundraise Trump might betray some troubling developments for the Biden campaign.
Namely, has the fundraising enthusiasm for Biden begun to wane?
If that were so, that would be crushing for him, seeing how much he has relied on paid advertising much more than Trump.
Between Biden’s clear indifference to the economic suffering of ordinary Americans betrayed in his recent CNN interview, his flip-flopping on Israel and Hamas, and his increasing public gaffes, it would seem that Biden has finally succeeded in alienating voters on the left, as well as the right.
Trump might be confined in a courtroom the majority of his days, but he has masterfully taken advantage of the unfortunate situation, getting his message out at big rallies and via unexpected appearances before and after his time in court.
Biden might, historically, have the funds, but, if the polls have been any indication, he is a profoundly unlikable candidate.
And there is no amount of money that could turn that around at this point.