Trump all-in on raising funds

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

President Donald Trump is well on his way to raising the $1 billion his campaign believes it will take for him to win another term in the White House, building a fundraising machine that will prove difficult for Democrats to match.

Trump’s bring-it-on fundraising approach – which will be on display during a stop in Los Angeles on Friday – is a far cry from his stance in 2015, when the billionaire reality-TV star and developer launched his first bid for president promising to use his own money to finance his campaign. It’s also an indication of how he has made his political apparatus more professional for Round 2.

For all presidents, incumbency has its advantages. Trump, who formalized his re-election effort the day after he took office, moved especially early to leverage his incumbency for 2020.

As Trump brings in millions, his would-be opponents are scrambling to raise enough money to earn themselves a spot on the primary debate stages. And the Democratic National Committee remains in debt from previous campaigns.

“Whoever the Democratic nominee is, they’ll be depleted, and they’ll have to start from zero – well under zero. The DNC has a debt,” said Michael Glassner, the Trump campaign’s chief operating officer. He called Trump’s decision to keep the campaign in operation during his first two years in office the “new model” for future presidents.

Through the end of 2018, the last date for which figures are publicly available, the Trump campaign had brought in more than $129 million. President Barack Obama, by comparison, didn’t even begin his 2012 re-election campaign until 2011. The Trump camp is scheduled to release its first quarter fundraising results later this month, so far only teasing that the campaign’s cash on hand this period will be “far beyond” the more than $19 million in the bank it reported at the end of 2018.