Trump raised $34M so far in 2023, including indictment bump

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has raised more than $34 million for his 2024 White House run since the start of the year, buoyed by a big bump in donations since the announcement of criminal charges against him in New York, according to his campaign. His total after the March 30 indictment approached what he took in over the previous three months.

Trump’s latest fundraising report due to be filed Saturday with the Federal Election Commission will show he raised more than $18.8 million between his main campaign account and a joint fundraising account over the the first three months of the year, the campaign said.

Of that total for the Jan. 1-March 31 period, $4 million came in after Trump was indicted March 30 by a grand jury in Manhattan on charges related to a hush money case stemming from the 2016 election.

The fundraising numbers were first reported by Politico.

Trump began raising money off the news of his indictment, and his campaign said he took in $15.4 million since the announcement of charges and Saturday’s filing deadline for the fundraising report.

Trump, who is also facing several other criminal investigations, has tried to use his legal troubles to galvanize supporters, claiming all the cases are politically motivated. He has portrayed the New York charges as “election interference” but also suggested they may help him win support.

Trump has dominated the GOP field in the early stages of the 2024 presidential race. But many high-dollar GOP donors have been looking to send their support elsewhere this time. Until his indictment, his campaign fundraising had lagged behind the massive amounts he used to raise in days or in hours when he was president.

Only a few candidates have officially entered the race, Trump’s U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor; former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who announced days after Trump’s indictment was filed; and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

More candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, are expected to enter the race by the time next fundraising reports are due in mid-July.