We’re getting into the home stretch of the 2024 presidential election, and with just over one month to go, former president Donald Trump is seeing a surge in cash to help fund his final push.
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According to his most recent filings, the Republican nominee collected about $160 million in September, and it is likely most of the cash will be spent in key swing states, particularly on ad buys.
Trump’s official campaign, joint fundraising committees, and the Republican National Committee reported that 96 percent of the donations were under $200, and the average September donation was around $60. The overall fundraising resulted in the campaign having $283 million total in the final stretch of the 2024 election.
“President Trump continues to inspire millions of everyday Americans to join his America First movement and help fuel the campaign with their hard-earned money. In September, nearly 2.5 million donations under $200 were made,” said Brian Hughes, Trump campaign senior adviser in a statement.
Trump’s September fundraising haul is up $30 million from August, when his campaign reported raising $130 million, but the former president’s operation continues to face a fundraising shortfall compared to Democrats and Kamala Harris’ campaign. Last month, the Harris campaign raked in $361 million – almost triple what Trump raised during the same period. The Harris campaign has not yet released its September fundraising numbers.
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Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are virtually tied in the polling, with Harris having an edge in national polling. But in polling from those vital swing states that both candidates need in order to win the electoral college, the race is incredibly tight. Both campaigns have upped their ad buys to include major college football games, which are viewed by millions of Americans each weekend.
Current polling suggests Trump has an advantage in Sun Belt states while Harris holds a very slight edge in Rust Belt states.
A big haul in cash is incredibly important for Trump, who has found himself behind in terms of donations this cycle. He is behind where he was at this point in 2020, though he has managed to keep up support against Harris, whose participation in the unpopular Biden-Harris Administration has several key demographics wavering.