Pro-Trump committees have already spent more than 8 times what his whole campaign did in 2016
President Trump's very open wallet doesn't exactly seem to be paying off.
So far in this campaign, pro-Trump committees have spent a whopping $531 million on his 2020 re-election campaign, The Washington Post reports. That's more than eight times what Trump's campaign spent by the time he effectively secured the GOP nomination in 2016, but in polls matching him up with Democratic contenders, he's still falling behind.
Trump has had no trouble raking in funding throughout the 2020 race, raising a combined $125 million in tandem with the Republican National Committee in the third fundraising quarter. For comparison, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) topped the Democrats with $25.3 million that quarter. That haul has allowed Trump to pour dollars into Democratic attack ads, with committees spending $10 million on them already, per the Post. Trump is also increasing his consulting power, hiring just 19 consultants to work on his campaign in 2016 but employing more than 200 today.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But all that spending doesn't mean Trump will be able to secure the swing states he scored last time around. A national Fox News poll in August put former Vice President Joe Biden, Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) over Trump by at least six points each, while a Quinnipiac University poll in October maintained Biden, Sanders and Warren's success.
Biden has meanwhile been beating Trump in Texas since April of this year, per a poll, while a September poll showed five other Democrats were topping Trump as well. Of course, if there's anything we learned in 2016, it's that polls involving Trump aren't always on target.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Will 2025 bring an Iran crisis for Trump?
Today's Big Question Tehran's nuclear program remains a concern
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Jimmy Carter honored in state funeral, laid to rest
Speed Read The state funeral was attended by all living presidents
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sentenced after Supreme Court rejection
Speed Read Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the three liberal justices in the majority
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US considering ban on Chinese drones as international tensions grow
In the Spotlight The decision will ultimately be made by the incoming Trump administration
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
DOJ to release half of Trump special counsel report
Speed Read The portion regarding Trump's retention of classified documents will not be publicly released
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
What's next for Canada after Trudeau's resignation?
Talking Points An election. But not just yet.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Jimmy Carter lies in state as 3-day DC farewell begins
Speed Read The 39th president died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Donald Trump, Greenland and how to buy an island
The Explainer US 'ownership and control an absolute necessity' says Trump even as PM states North Atlantic island 'not for sale and will never be'
By The Week UK Published