Donald Trump appears to be losing steam among Republican voters after his fundraising numbers have experienced a dip over the last few months — positioning himself behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has surpassed the former president in donations.
Trump raked in at least $36 million during the first six months of 2022, a decrease from the $56 million he made during the same time period the year before, according to his campaign finance filings. The new numbers mark the first time Trump has raised less than $50 million in any six-month period since leaving the White House, and they put him below DeSantis, who raised about $45 million in the first half of this year, records show.
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Trump’s numbers may be slightly higher, as the tallies don’t include numbers raised from Trump’s Save America PAC that will be released later this month. The political action committee has raised at least $23,000 so far this quarter from WinRed, a Republican fundraising platform.
There are limitations to comparing the two, as DeSantis is up for reelection, whereas Trump is not actively campaigning. But some strategists say it might be an indication of fatigue among GOP voters toward the former president.
Trump’s fundraising has slowed in recent months, falling to an average of $200,000 a day in the last four months compared to about $300,000 a day in September, according to filings with WinRed. But this may be because donors are turning their attention to more urgent races as Republicans seek to gain control of Congress in November rather than to Trump, who has not yet announced any candidacy plans.
Despite the lull in fundraising, Trump remains the favored candidate among GOP voters in a hypothetical matchup between other potential Republican nominees. Nearly 50% said they would vote for Trump if the GOP presidential primary was held today, with 25% saying they would back DeSantis, according to a poll by the New York Times and Siena College.
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Although trailing, DeSantis comes the closest to Trump compared to other GOP contenders, including former Vice President Mike Pence (6%) and Sen. Ted Cruz (7%).
Trump has not announced intentions to launch another presidential bid, but he has hinted in recent days that it was more so a matter of when, not if, according to multiple recent reports. DeSantis has not indicated whether he’ll run for president in 2024.
