Janice R. Andrews
According to numbers revealed by his campaign on Monday, President Joe Biden’s political organization raised $51 million in April, a significant decrease from March’s fundraising. In spite of the downturn, Biden’s campaign and associated organizations closed the month with a healthy $192 million in cash, setting a record for any Democratic contender and putting him in a great position to challenge outgoing President Donald Trump.
Despite spending a significant amount of time in court due to legal challenges, Trump’s team revealed earlier this month that his campaign and affiliated committees raised over $76 million in April. These efforts were made possible by several high-profile events and an intensified joint fundraising operation with the Republican National Committee.
Prior to this, Biden’s campaign had already raised over $90 million in March thanks to a well-publicized New York fundraiser that featured former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. This upsurge was in response to Biden’s State of the Union speech.
The former president’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, emphasized his fundraising accomplishments in spite of his court appearances and said that donations and polling data confirmed Trump’s momentum. But Trump’s team has been spending a lot of money on legal defense, which has affected its campaign funding.
Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Biden’s campaign manager, highlighted the grassroots support for the senator by highlighting his organization’s strength and substantial small-dollar contributions. Recurring donations gave the campaign $5.5 million in April, and a million new email supporters signed up.
There are deadlines for both campaigns to submit their monthly reports to federal election regulators about fundraising and spending. As of the end of April, Biden’s campaign reported having $84.5 million in cash on hand, significantly outpacing Trump’s $49.1 million.
Trump’s legal costs are still rising; in April, his political action committee, Save America, spent $3.3 million on legal fees and racked up $1.1 million in unpaid debt. This year, Save America has paid about $15.6 million in legal fees; since 2021, the total has been close to $80 million.
Biden is expected to attend a Los Angeles fundraiser next month alongside Obama, George Clooney, and Julia Roberts as the race heats up.
Furthermore, documents disclosed enormous financial backing for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent presidential campaign, including large contributions from affluent supporters, prompting Democrats to express apprehension regarding his capacity to sway the Biden-Trump race.
