President Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign and the Democratic National Committee raised a combined $85 million in May, their second-best fundraising month so far this election cycle.
But the money raised by Biden and the Democratic National Committee falls far short of the massive sums raised by former President Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee last month.
The Biden campaign announced its May fundraising figures on Thursday night, also highlighting the massive cash pile it had at the end of May: $212 million.
“Our strong and consistent fundraising program saw millions of increases in May, a clear sign that enthusiasm for the President and Vice President continues to grow strongly each month,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement.
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President Biden’s reelection campaign on Wednesday slammed MSNBC and CNN for ignoring the “Black Voters for Biden-Harris” rally in Philadelphia. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Biden’s announcement came on the last day that presidential campaigns had to submit fundraising figures for May to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
But the Trump campaign didn’t wait until the deadline to tout its May fundraising numbers.
The former president’s campaign announced two and a half weeks ago that his campaign and the Republican National Committee raised a staggering $141 million combined in May, thanks in part to the former president’s criminal conviction.
That’s up from the $76 million he raised in April, when he outraised President Biden and the Democratic National Committee for the first time in his 2024 reelection bid.
Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower in New York City on May 30, 2024, after being convicted of 34 counts of first-degree falsifying business records. (Felipe Ramares for Fox News Digital)
The Trump campaign has emphasized its grassroots appeal, announcing that the average donor in May was $70.27 and that 25% of donors were first-time donors to the former president’s 2024 election.
Trump’s cash announcement was promoted by his campaign ‘Record-breaking’ fundraising This comes shortly after he was found guilty of all 34 felony counts in the first trial of a former or current president in the country’s history.
The former president’s campaign highlighted that in the first 24 hours after Thursday night’s ruling, they and the Republican National Committee raised nearly $53 million, which was added to May’s total.
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The Biden campaign has also used Trump’s ruling to raise funds, with a source telling Fox News that “the 24 hours after the ruling were one of the most fundraising hours the Biden campaign has had since launching its campaign.”
Biden’s May fundraising took place without any big fundraising events headlined by the president, and the Biden campaign said the majority of its May fundraising came from grassroots donors.
The Biden campaign has been spending money and running a very strong ground operation in key battleground states, announcing just hours ago that it has hired 1,000 staffers, giving the Biden campaign a huge organizational advantage over the Trump campaign when it comes to grassroots and get-out-the-vote ground efforts.
File photo of President Biden (left) and former President Trump (AP Photo/Julia Nickinson and Evan Vucci)
“The funds we continue to raise are important, as they help us build a movement that is invested in reaching and winning over voters who decide our elections,” Chavez Rodríguez stressed.
The Biden campaign appears to have a big cash advantage over the Trump campaign, which did not report how much cash it had on hand when it announced its May fundraising, and neither campaign is legally required to report that figure until second-quarter fundraising ends at the end of July.
As of the end of March, when the first fundraising quarter of the year ended, Biden held a cash advantage over Trump of $146 million to $88 million.
Trump has been aiming to close the fundraising gap with Biden, who has consistently outraised Trump in monthly fundraising.
Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump walks to the podium during a campaign event in Racine, Wisconsin, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (Associated Press/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Trump’s April giving was boosted by a record $50.5 million the former president’s campaign raised at a single event for top Republican donors at the Palm Beach, Florida, home of billionaire investor John Paulson earlier that month.
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Both candidates have held significant fundraising events so far this month.
At a fundraiser in Los Angeles on Saturday that was attended by former President Barack Obama, Hollywood heavyweights George Clooney and Julia Roberts and late-night TV talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, the president raised more than $30 million, setting a new fundraising record for the Democratic Party, his campaign said.
President Joe Biden (L) laughs with former President Barack Obama onstage during a campaign fundraiser at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on June 15, 2024. (Mandel Ngan/AFP) (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
He also raised $8.1 million at a fundraiser at former Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s mansion in Northern Virginia, which was attended by former President Bill Clinton and former Sen. Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic standard-bearer.
Meanwhile, Trump’s team boasted that the former president raised about $27.5 million at fundraisers in California and Nevada a week ago.
Fundraising, along with polls, is a key indicator of the strength of candidates and their campaigns. Money raised can be used to bolster grassroots and get-out-the-vote efforts, human resources, travel, advertising, and more.
Get the latest 2024 campaign updates, exclusive interviews and more on Fox News Digital’s Election Hub.
