Former President Donald J. Trump and the Republican Party out-raised President Biden and the Democrats last month for the first time in this election cycle, according to campaign officials. Mr. Trump’s campaign, along with the Republican Party and affiliated committees, raised $76.2 million in April, while the Biden campaign reported raising $51 million with the Democratic National Committee.
Despite the fundraising success, Mr. Trump still lags behind in total cash on hand compared to Mr. Biden. The Biden campaign ended April with $84.5 million on hand, while Mr. Trump’s campaign had $48 million. However, Mr. Trump’s advisers had expected to close the fundraising gap once he secured the Republican nomination.
Mr. Trump’s campaign has been spending millions on legal bills, with Save America, a committee used to pay his legal fees, spending $3.3 million in April. The filings also show that the Republican National Committee raised $32 million in April, while the Democratic National Committee raised $35.5 million.
In response to the fundraising numbers, Mr. Trump’s campaign released a statement criticizing Mr. Biden’s campaign, saying that only “out-of-touch billionaires in Hollywood” support him. Mr. Biden’s campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, highlighted the strong grassroots enthusiasm for their campaign.
Overall, the fundraising numbers reflect a busy month for both campaigns, with Mr. Trump’s campaign raising significant amounts through joint fundraising committees and Mr. Biden’s campaign investing in offices across battleground states and an early advertising blitz. The race for campaign funds continues as the election cycle progresses.
