Former President Trump's campaign said it raised $50.5 million on Saturday, reports the AP, a staggering reported haul as his campaign works to catch up to the fundraising juggernaut of President Biden and the Democratic Party. The reported haul from the event with major donors at the home in Palm Beach, Florida, of billionaire investor John Paulson sets a new single-event fundraising record and is almost double the $26 million that Biden's campaign raised recently at a gathering with former Presidents Clinton and Obama at Radio City Music Hall. "This has been some incredible evening before it even starts because people—they wanted to contribute to a cause of making America great again, and that's what's happened," Trump said to reporters as he arrived with wife Melania.
The event, billed as the "Inaugural Leadership Dinner," sends a signal of a resurgence of Trump and the Republican Party's fundraising, which has lagged behind Biden. Trump and the GOP announced earlier in the week that they raised more than $65.6 million in March and closed out the month with $93.1 million. Biden and the Democrats announced Saturday that they took in more than $90 million last month and had $192 million-plus on hand. Trump initially struggled to attract big donors in particular when he launched his campaign and some lined up to support the other Republicans in the primary. But as Trump racked up easy wins and became the party's presumptive nominee, the GOP has solidified behind him.
Saturday's high-dollar event hosted about 100 guests, including more than a few billionaires. Contributions to the event will go toward the Trump 47 Committee, a joint fundraising agreement with the Republican National Committee, state Republican parties, and Save America, a PAC that pays the bulk of Trump's legal bills. In an unusual arrangement, the fundraising agreement directs donations to first pay the maximum allowed under law to his campaign and Save America before the RNC or state parties get a cut.
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Donors who gave the suggested $814,600 per person or $250,000 per person will only have $5,000 of their donation go to Save America, sending hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cash-strapped RNC. Guests were asked to contribute $814,600 per person as a "chairman" contributor, which came with seating at Trump's table, or $250,000 per person as a "host committee" contributor. Both options come with a photo opportunity and a personalized copy of Trump's coffee table book featuring photographs from his administration, "Our Journey Together." NBC News notes that those who raise $2.5 million for the campaign get a personalized pair of Trump's "Never Surrender" sneakers. (More Donald Trump 2024 stories.)
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