President Trump and the Republican National Committee (RNC) combined to raise about $74 million in May, a record haul for the month but one that fell behind the total garnered by former Vice President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in the same period.
The May figure was about $12 million more than Trump and the RNC raised in April, bringing their total haul for the cycle to date to more than $817 million. The average donation for May amounted to $46, and the two bodies have $265 million cash on hand combined.
Biden and the DNC raised nearly $81 million dollars in May, marking their single best month of fundraising for the 2020 cycle. However, they are still believed to face a yawning cash-on-hand deficit. Biden and the DNC did not not announce a cash-on-hand total for May but at the end of April said they had approximately $100 million in cash reserves.
“After yet another massive fundraising haul, it remains clear that the enthusiasm behind President Trump’s re-election campaign goes unmatched. While Sleepy Joe Biden lobs ineffective partisan attacks from the shadows of his basement, President Trump is leading The Great American Comeback and he is drawing support from every corner of this country,” said Trump Campaign Manager Brad Parscale.
“President Trump’s consistent leadership and unprecedented actions during this challenging time has undoubtedly resonated with the American people. Support across the country continues to pour in, helping us to build an unparalleled operation that will deliver victories up and down the ballot in November,” added RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel.
The Trump campaign and the RNC, which raised $14 million Sunday alone, said they will use their behemoth bank account to fund the “largest field program and data operation in Party history.” They have already announced the hiring of 300 additional field staffers and now have 1,100 staffers in target states.
May was the first full month that the Biden Victory Fund, the joint fundraising committee set up between the Biden campaign and the DNC, was up and running.
The competing fundraising hauls come as Biden expands his lead in national and statewide polls amid widespread criticism over the president’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and protests over systemic racism and police brutality.
Trump is looking to turn the tide and expand his financial advantage by resuming in-person fundraisers and campaign rallies, key ways the president’s campaign works to rake in money from high-dollar donors and gin up support among his base, though Democrats have said the president is putting people’s health at risk.
Trump is slated to hold his first campaign rally since the pandemic began Saturday evening in Tulsa, Okla.
Biden, meanwhile, is doubling down on digital fundraisers, bringing in heavy hitters such as former President Obama to help him raise money.