Former President Donald Trump raised more money in April than President Joe Biden, an issue that has piqued some Democrats’ interest.
“In campaigns, there are three parts to keep up with regarding money. First is how much you raise, second is what you spend it on, and third is the timing of the money in and out. I’m confident the Biden campaign and allies are doing all three well,” said Ivan Zapien, a former official at the Democratic National Committee, per The Hill.
“Does it concern folks? Maybe, but we should be worried about everything and work as though we are losing ‘till the day after the election,” he said.
Biden’s campaign efforts fell well short of Trump’s — $51 million to $76 million, respectively. Biden, however, comes out ahead in respects to cash-on-hand as the campaign goes into June with $192 million.
Some consider this an advantage over Trump — that and how the money is being spent.
“Context matters – beyond the dollars raised, it’s far more important to focus on how much candidates have on hand and where and how they spend,” Scott Mulhauser, former senior aide to then-Vice President Biden, said.
“President Biden not only has a huge cash on hand advantage, the money he’s spent is primarily going to the nuts and bolts of campaigning – opening field offices, hiring staff and running ads – while the bulk of former President Trump’s campaign dollars continue to get flushed down the campaign drain to defend all his legal cases,” said Mulhauser, who is a partner at Bully Pulpit International.
According to Fox Business, Trump’s money has gone to pay legal bills as he spent $4 million on legal fees in March. From early last year to now, Trump has spent $66 million in legal fees.
Trump’s fundraising efforts in April are attributed to an event at Mar-a-Lago when $50 million was gleaned.
“Trump’s recent high-profile, big-dollar fundraising events certainly helped, but they are unlikely sustainable,” said Biden ally and former Rep. Chris Carney (D-Pa.)
“The basis for fundraising between the two is stark. Trump raises money on pretend grievance, while Biden raises money on leadership and accomplishment,” Carney, a senior policy adviser at Nossaman LLP, said.
Biden’s campaign tried to get ahead of any issue with the April numbers by reaching out to potential donors.
“In a race that will come down to as slim of a margin as this one, so much hinges on us investing in getting our message out and getting folks to the polls. We can’t let Trump gain the upper hand,” a Biden email said.
Trump is also ahead of Biden in polling numbers.
According to a Bloomberg/Morning Consult poll, Trump leads Biden in swing states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
