Former President Donald Trump is still seeking a donation from the largest donor of his 2020 campaign, Miriam Adelson.
Trump’s campaign claimed it raised more than $50 million at his Palm Beach, Florida, fundraiser, on Saturday night, showcasing how Republican mega-donors have coalesced around Trump ahead of his anticipated November rematch with President Joe Biden. However, Adelson has yet to sign a check to the former president to support his reelection effort, according to the Wall Street Journal.
In 2020, she and her late husband, Sheldon Adelson, donated $90 million to Trump’s campaign. She is expected to contribute eventually, according to several people close to her or Trump’s fundraising network who spoke to the outlet.
Adelson is the majority shareholder of Las Vegas Sands. Trump and Adelson have had dinner twice in the past two months, once in Palm Beach, and another dinner in Las Vegas. In 2018, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump. She celebrated his previous moves in Israel, mainly when Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital over Tel Aviv, a move Adelson had been pushing for for years.
It’s unclear how Trump’s recent comments on the Israel-Hamas war, where he said that Israel needs to “finish up” its war against the terrorist organization, may have affected his relationship with Adelson. However, a person close to Adelson told the Wall Street Journal that Adelson is “sensitive to anything that looks to compromise the security position of Israel.”
In recent months, Trump has been increasingly seen having dinner with some of his top donors. He has made personal phone calls, and increased outreach to his previous supporters, and top aids have given presentations that outline how donation money will be spent, according to people familiar with this fundraising strategy who spoke to the Wall Street Journal.
Under Trump’s joint financing agreement with the Republican National Committee, donations are directed to the Trump campaign or the Save America PAC, which pays for Trump’s legal bills. Only then does the RNC see a cut of the money, which has put them in a worse financial position than the Democratic National Committee.
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In March, the Biden Campaign and the DNC outraised the Trump Campaign and RNC. Biden’s Campaign and the DNC raised $90 million in March, ending the month with $192 million in cash on hand. Trump’s campaign and the RNC raised $66 million, ending the month with $93 million on hand.
At Saturday’s event, Trump outraised Biden’s campaign event in New York which showcased former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama that raised $26 million.
