This suggests that Donald Trump’s legal troubles have had positive impact on both his political and financial standing
New figures provided by the Trump campaign reveal that in the first quarter of 2023, former President Donald Trump raised a total of $18.8 million from his joint fundraising committee and campaign, CNN reported.
Following his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury on March 30, there was a surge in donations, with the campaign reporting an additional $15.4 million raised in the two weeks after charges were filed.
This suggests that Trump’s legal troubles have had a positive impact on both his political and financial standing, at least in the short term. Apparently, they have also energised his supporters as he pursues his third bid for the presidency.
Politico first reported on Trump’s fundraising numbers for the first quarter.
After his indictment was announced, Trump’s campaign claimed on March 31 that it had raised $4 million within 24 hours. The former president has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony criminal charges related to falsifying business records.
According to data provided by his campaign, Trump received 541,971 donations in the first quarter (January 1 to March 31), with an average donation of about $34. After the charges were filed against him, he received 312,564 donations in the following two weeks, with an average donation of around $49.
Before his indictment, Trump’s daily donations averaged around $168,000 between January 1 and March 30. It remains uncertain whether the increased donations claimed by his campaign will continue into the second quarter.
Trump has been raising funds for his 2024 presidential bid through his campaign and Save America PAC. According to filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission on Saturday, $14.4 million of the first-quarter fundraising went to Trump’s main campaign account.
As per a CNN report, compared to his first-quarter fundraising during the 2020 election cycle when he was still serving as President, the figure of $18.8 million raised by Trump in the first quarter of 2023 falls short of the $30 million he collected.
As of March 31, the Trump campaign had $13.9 million in cash on hand, while the first-quarter spending totalled $3.5 million.
Payroll accounted for more than $727,000 of the campaign’s expenses during the quarter, while just over $488,000 was directed towards TAG Air Inc, which is a Trump-owned company responsible for operating his airplanes, according to filings.