The Donald Trump 2024 Campaign
Donald Trump’s campaign to win a second term as President of the United States is well underway, and with just a few months left, the Republican nominee is inching closer to his goal.
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However, popular Democratic candidate Kamala Harris is standing in his way. Since the vice president announced her presidential campaign in July, Harris has occasionally taken a surprise lead in polls.
Funding Presidential Campaigns
Becoming a presidential candidate is an extremely challenging task. However, funding the campaign can be just as difficult.
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With just over two months until election day, both political candidates will attempt to raise as much money as possible to help promote their cause in hopes of winnin over the minds of undecided Americans.
Kamala Harris Raises Significant Funds
By the end of August, Kamala Harris’ campaign had raised around $540 million in funding, and a particular surge in cash slow was witnessed during the Democratic National Convention.
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“The Convention was a galvanizing moment for the Harris-Walz coalition throughout the country, energizing and mobilizing volunteer and grassroots donors alike,” explained campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon.
Trump’s Campaign Funds
Conversely, Trump has experienced the generosity of Republican voters, who have played a pivotal role in funding the former President’s campaign.
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Throughout the summer, Trump’s campaign received around $331 million during the second quarter of 2024, significantly outperforming former candidate Joe Biden. However, Harris’ campaign appears to be holding its own.
Harris Raises Over $360 Million in One Month
According to reports from The Guardian, Harris raised around $361 million during the month of August.
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This was nearly triple the amount raised by her political opponent, Trump. The vice president’s campaign managers called their accomplishment one of the best grassroots fundraising months in presidential history.
How Much Did Trump Raise in August?
In August, the Trump campaign raised only $130 million, which is significantly less than Harris’s total.
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Despite raising such an astronomical amount of money, the Trump campaign experienced a deficit of around $32 million in August, meaning it had to dip into its cash reserves to cover costs.
Over $1 Billion Spent on the 2024 Presidential Campaign
After taking from their cash on hand, the Trump campaign had around $295 million left at the beginning of September. Adversely, Harris has significantly more at $404 million, per Reuters.
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Collectively, the two presidential candidates will spend over $1 billion during the campaign. A great deal of their funds is spent on advertisements and operations in swing states.
Trump's Campaign Costs More to Keep Afloat
After the end-of-month figures were released for August, it was revealed Trump’s campaign cost significantly more than the former president could bring in with funding.
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In recent months, Trump’s overall funding from his loyal donors has stalled and experienced incremental drops. Despite this, the former president still has plenty of cash readily available.
Spending Habits of the Presidential Candidates
The Trump campaign has begun pouring as much of its funds as possible into television ads in states such as Pennsylvania and Georgia in hopes of earning a narrow path to victory in November.
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In contrast Harris’ campaign is spending a good portion of their funds in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
Trump Campaign Ups Their Spending in August
According to Bloomberg, Trump’s campaign spent just over $2.6 million in July.
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However, after Harris announced her plans to run for president at the end of July, Trump’s spending drastically increased to over $64 million in August as they ramped up efforts to convince the public that Harris was a poor candidate.
Voting Day is Slowly Approaching
As we inch closer to election day at the beginning of November, the presidential candidates will likely continue to spend their funds, hoping to swing the undecided voters in their direction.
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Whether Trump’s deficit will affect his spending going forward is uncertain. However, the former president will undoubtedly use every penny he has available if it guarantees a second term as President of the United States.