Trump and DeSantis lead GOP fundraising race. Other hopefuls try 'quid pro quo' tactics to break through.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez
(Image credit: Eva Marie Uzcategui / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Quarterly campaign finance reports released Saturday after a Federal Election Commission filing deadline show that among Republican presidential hopefuls, former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis were "in a tier of their own on the fundraising front," The Associated Press reported Sunday.

Trump reported raising $17.7 million from April through June, while the DeSantis campaign reported a $20.1 million haul — though DeSantis also burned through $7.9 million, and a hefty $13.8 million of his total came from big donors who gave the maximum amount allowed in the primary campaign. DeSantis also laid off "fewer than 10" paid campaign staffers last week, Politico reported; NBC News said he "fired a dozen staffers." Trump reported $22.5 million cash on hand, while DeSantis had $12.2 million.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.