Just 12 hours since former President Donald Trump learned his fate in the Manhattan hush money trial, he quickly learned something else: supporters don’t give a damn, and they proved it by delivering a record-setting fundraising haul.
The Trump campaign reported on Friday morning that its team pulled in a gargantuan $34.8 million in just small-dollar donations in the first 24 hours with plenty more to go, putting him on pace to eclipse the $10 million brought in by President Joe Biden’s campaign after his 2024 State of the Union speech.
Online conservative personality Alex Bruesewitz, who maintains close ties to Trump’s inner circle, was effusive in praising the MAGA faithful for rising to the occasion. “TRUMP SHATTERS FUNDRAISING RECORDS AFTER RIGGED BIDEN TRIAL VERDICT,” he wrote on X. “30% of it came from first time Trump donors. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SEE THROUGH THE BS!”
The Trump campaign added in a statement, “Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrats with their election interference political witch hunt have awakened the MAGA movement like never before.”
Across his official campaign and major super PACs, the Trump orbit raised and spent more than $1 billion in 2020, according to OpenSecrets. Since January of 2023, his third run for office has collected about $120 million, according to Voice of America, and seen its cash deserves tick lower as tens of millions of dollars were spent on legal defense expenses related to his criminal trials. Trump’s fundraising has picked up since April when his campaign reported raising $76 million in conjunction with the Republican National Committee. In March, shortly after his daughter-in-law Lara Trump took the reins as co-chair, the RNC reported a similar haul.
With the only expected criminal trial of the year behind him, President Trump will enjoy freedom from the courtroom as well as expensive bills that piled up while his phalanx of attorneys, led by Todd Blanche, beat back Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s team day after day. He continues to cite two ongoing federal trials as part of a “witch hunt” intended to distract from the campaign trail and bleed him of cash in the race against President Joe Biden.
Meanwhile, old foes like Ron DeSantis are rallying behind Trump, with the Florida governor committing overnight to raise $10 million for his onetime rival. “I think we believe Biden needs to be beat, and the governor is willing to put the sword down,” a top DeSantis adviser told NBC News. “They have had several good conversations as recently as last week.” The AP added that Trump called into a retreat with donors led by DeSantis back in April where the two men traded kind words.
“Ron, I love that you’re back,” Trump said.
