Biden, unlike The Don, can show the money

– Joe Biden may be struggling against Donald Trump in the polls ahead of November‘s US presidential election but his numbers are looking good in one department: campaign cash.

The Democrat holds a widening lead over his Republican rival in the fundraising stakes, while Trump is burning through legal fees as he battles multiple criminal and civil cases.

The cash crunch has also given 81-year-old Biden a new line of attack on the campaign trail, as he mocks the self-proclaimed billionaire tycoon for his mounting financial woes.

“Just the other day, a defeated-looking guy came up to me and said: ‘Mr President, I need your help, I’m being crushed with debt, I’m completely wiped out,’” he told a fundraising event in Dallas, Texas on Wednesday.

“Donald, I’m sorry, I can’t help you,” Biden said he responded, in a punchline that drew laughs and applause from an audience of supporters.

Biden’s financial advantage may help calm Democratic nerves as America’s oldest president suffers from record low approval ratings less than seven months from his rematch with Trump.

Biden’s campaign boasted $71 million (about R1.3 billion) of cash in hand at the end of February – more than double Trump’s $33.5 million, filings with the US Federal Election Commission showed on Wednesday.

The incumbent’s campaign raised $21.3 million in February alone, again nearly double Trump’s $10.9 million. Biden meanwhile spent $6.3 million in the month but Trump spent more – $7.8 million. Those figures however don’t show the complete picture for either candidate as filings from their various fundraising committees won‘t be made until April.

Biden’s campaign said at the weekend that it had raised more than $53 million in February, leaving it with a “historic” total of $155 million, which it said was the most by any Democrat at this stage in the election cycle.

Perhaps the most worrying element for Trump is his giant legal fees, as he faces criminal cases including for trying to subvert his 2020 election loss and keeping secret documents.

Lawyers’ bills accounted for a huge $5.6 million of the money spent in February by Trump‘s Save America political action committee – money that could be going towards campaigning.

The figures add to Trump’s woes as he struggles to raise a $464 million bond to appeal a fine by a New York court for fraudulently inflating his wealth.

Trump spent $7.8 million in February