Trump, Buttigieg escalate fundraising with latest figures
WASHINGTON — The battle for campaign cash is escalating as President Donald Trump posted a massive second quarter haul on Tuesday, while a fresh-faced Indiana mayor outraised Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the most prominent names in Democratic politics.
Trump’s $105 million take reflects the incredible resources at his disposal as he prepares to fight for reelection. And South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s $6 million advantage over Sanders shows the intense competition the Vermont senator is facing in a crowded primary.
Together, the early numbers emerging from top campaigns preview the challenges that lie ahead, particularly for Democrats. While Trump amasses a fortune, Democrats worry their long, potentially divisive primary will give the president an advantage going into the general election.
Second quarter fundraising numbers don’t need to be reported to the Federal Election Commission until July 15, but often campaigns give an early glimpse, particularly if they had a good haul.
So far, only Buttigieg and Sanders have released their numbers, with Sanders pulling in $18 million and transferring an additional $6 million from other accounts. Yet to be seen are figures from former Vice President Joe Biden and California Sen. Kamala Harris, who saw a fundraising surge after last week’s Democratic debates.
Trump’s haul includes money raised by the Trump campaign, Trump’s joint fundraising entities and the Republican National Committee. The Democratic National Committee, meanwhile, is raising money to support the party’s eventual nominee.
Sanders’ campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, attributed the campaign’s cash gulf to Sanders’s rejection of highdollar fundraisers, which Buttigieg has embraced. Instead, Sanders’ campaign is fueled by small-dollar online donations from a bluecollar base, he said.
“It is the kind of support that we would take any day of the week over cushy, closed- door, high- dollar fundraisers in New York City,” Shakir said.
Biden, the presumed front-runner, is coming off several shaky weeks, including a dramatic moment on the debate stage during which he struggled to respond to pointed questions from Harris about his past positions on school busing.
A member of his finance team, California attorney Thomas McInerney, withdrew his support, pointing to Biden’s recent comments highlighting his work with segregationists in the Senate.
Biden’s campaign said in an email to supporters Monday that they “blew our fundraising goal out of the water” but remain coy about how much he raised. Harris, meanwhile, took in $2 million in the 24 hours after her critique of Biden.
The former vice president’s supporters say they aren’t worried.
“Let’s be honest: When you are the far and away front-runner, everybody is shooting at you,” said Steve Westly, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist who is raising money for Biden.
Fundraising success, however, does not equate to votes, and the race is still in the early stages. Buttigieg, for example, is winning favor among donors but has struggled with African American voters, a key constituency for any winning Democratic presidential campaign.
On Tuesday, the 37-yearold acknowledged the needs to meet more voters in the black community during a campaign appearance in Chicago, suggesting that they may warm up to him if they “see me in action for a longer period of time.”