The biggest fundraising juggernaut heading into the 2022 midterm elections isn’t the RNC or the DNC, it’s Donald Trump’s Save America PAC which ended the year with an eye-popping $122 million in the bank.
To put that in perspective, the Democratic National Committee entered 2022 with just $65 million cash on hand amid a year of record fundraising. The Republican National Committee, not to be outdone, also hovered around a similar level in the mid-sixties.
For any journalist or commentator who says Trump is losing some of his edge, have fun explaining these fundraising numbers for a guy who they claim simply doesn’t have the magic anymore:
Donald J. Trump’s political operation raised more than $51 million in the second half of 2021 as the former president continued to dominate the Republican fund-raising landscape in his first year out of the White House, according to new federal filings.
Mr. Trump’s overall war chest entering 2022 stood at $122 million — more than double the cash on hand of the Republican National Committee itself — as he continued to solicit his online supporters with the same pace and intensity of the heat of the campaign.
The huge sum gives Mr. Trump an invaluable head start should he run for the White House again, as he has repeatedly suggested is his intention.
There has been chatter lately showing some breakthroughs for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and it’s true, he has been polling slightly better against Trump in recent weeks. That seems to be based on nothing other than pure speculation that DeSantis is a lock to run in 2024, and Trump has yet to commit one way or another.
The influence Trump will have in the midterms and the setup for the 2024 presidential election can’t be understated. Money talks, and he’s got plenty of it to spread around:
Mr. Trump’s team announced it processed more than 1.6 million donations in the last six months of 2021, with an average contribution of $31.
Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, Mr. Trump has already endorsed roughly 100 candidates nationwide, from those making runs for seats ranging from state legislators to secretaries of state to United States senators. He also gave away some of his funds, cutting checks to candidates he has endorsed. Those checks have often come with letters that candidates often proudly post to social media.
Trump’s donor base is broad, and deep, and shows little sign of slowing down amid a year of Biden’s missteps and general Democrat-caused malaise in the country.
Trump can be ignored by the media, which largely yawns at covering his rallies now, but he can’t be ignored as a solid political force within the Republican Party continuing to carry massive fundraising hauls and provide a platform for primary challengers seeking his endorsement.
While Trump’s PAC money can’t be used for a presidential campaign directly, it can certainly help lay the groundwork if he chooses by continuing to bankroll rallies, advertising, and making payroll for staffers around the country until he decides.
Having that much cash on hand and the ability to force his voice into the conversation makes it difficult to argue that Trump will somehow fade away from the political landscape.
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