Biden and Democrats raised $51 million in April, far less than Trump and the GOP’s $76 million
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee said Monday they raised more than $51 million in April, well below the $76 million Donald Trump and the Republican Party reportedly raised this month.
Biden’s re-election campaign said it had $192 million in cash on hand at the end of last month, which it said was higher than any Democratic candidate in history. But that was also about the same amount as at the end of the first quarter of the year, on March 30, indicating that the campaign was spending money as quickly as it was raising it.
April’s totals were also down sharply from March, when the president’s campaign and DNC announced they would raise more than $90 million.
Biden and his party had routinely outpaced his predecessor, but Trump’s April gains were boosted by a record $50.5 million his campaign reportedly raised at a single event with donors early this month in Palm Beach, Florida, home to billionaire investor John. Paulson.
That meeting was Trump’s response to a March event with former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, where the Biden campaign reported raising $26 million. Meanwhile, Biden’s campaign is planning a major fundraiser in Los Angeles next month with Hollywood stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts.
Trump and the GOP reported raising more than $65.6 million in March and ended the month with $93.1 million in cash.
Biden’s campaign says a large war chest has allowed the country to undertake major advertising campaigns in key states, and work with the DNC and state parties to better mobilize potential supporters ahead of the November election – boosting Trump’s efforts locally exceeded by far.
Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said April’s harvest “gives us the resources needed to invest in opening offices, hiring organizers and communicating in our battleground states to mobilize the coalition of voters who care about this election will decide.”
The president’s team says it now has more than 150 coordinated offices with Democratic officials, and more than 500 coordinated staff in battleground states.
Trump and the Republicans amassed big fundraising advantages early in the 2020 cycle but lost that election, however, and polls show Biden still facing low approval ratings as most voters say they would prefer not to see a rematch in 2020.
Still, Trump’s personal finances have been strained lately by legal fees amid his indictments in four criminal cases, including the ongoing investigation into hush-money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels.
The Biden campaign said Monday night that April was the strongest month for returning donors yet, with such donors contributing more than $5.5 million during the month alone. It says more than 225,000 donors have committed to giving each month, which it says is more than 1.5 times the amount at this point in the 2020 cycle.
Since Biden announced his re-election bid in April 2023, his team says 96% of all donations have been less than $200, and 1.8 million donors have now made nearly 4.9 million contributions.