Record sum at fundraising gala
Trump receives $50 million in just one evening
April 7, 2024, 7:09 a.m
Trump is in financial trouble due to escalating legal costs. Now a fundraising event has brought him a windfall. No wonder: After all, just one seat at the ex-president’s table cost the guests $814,600, according to the Washington Post.
Former US President Donald Trump collected more than $50 million in campaign donations at an event in Florida for his renewed candidacy. The event at hedge fund manager John Paulson’s Palm Beach estate raised a good $50.5 million, Trump’s campaign team and the Republican National Committee, the national organizing body of the Republican Party, said in a joint statement.
The result of a fundraising campaign for the re-election of the Democratic US President Joe Biden in New York at the end of March appears to be “hopeless,” the statement continued. According to Biden’s campaign team, at least $25 million in donations were raised at the event with Biden’s Democratic predecessors Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Biden’s team celebrated the result as a record.
Trump’s supporter Paulson and his campaign team boasted that the amount they raised was twice that of the Democrats. “This sold-out event raised more money than any single campaign fundraising event ever has,” Paulson said. “This overwhelming support shows enthusiasm for President Trump and his policies.”
However, the official confirmation of the amount by the Federal Election Campaign Commission is still pending. Campaign teams sometimes exaggerate their fundraising figures in order to increase momentum.
Most expensive election campaign in history
Trump arrived at the event with his wife Melania. “This is an incredible evening even before it has begun,” emphasized the ex-president. People wanted to take part in “making America great again. And that’s what happened,” the 77-year-old added, referring to his campaign slogan.
The guest list in Palm Beach included businessman Robert Bigelow, who made his fortune in the hotel industry, and grocery chain owner John Catsimatidis – both major Republican donors. Some of Trump’s former intraparty rivals, such as Senator Tim Scott and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, were also invited.
According to the Washington Post, a seat at Trump’s table cost guests $814,600. Part of the proceeds will now go to a group that has already spent several million dollars on the presidential candidate’s legal fees. Trump is in financial trouble due to escalating legal costs. In addition, the proceeds will also be used to pay for Trump’s campaign trips, his staff and election commercials on television. According to experts, the election campaign before the polls on November 5th will be more expensive than ever before in US history.
Biden, who likes to portray himself as a representative of the middle class, criticized Trump’s gigantic campaign fundraising event in advance. “While Trump is collecting money from a bunch of hedge fund billionaires, our grassroots campaign raised $187 million this quarter because of people like you,” the US Democrat wrote on X to his supporters. Biden’s campaign coffers are currently better filled than Trump’s because the Republican has to raise large sums of money due to various legal disputes.