US President Donald Trump's reelection campaign reports it has been awash with donations that have surpassed the $30 million milestone in the first quarter of the year. His likely Democratic rivals are lagging far behind.
According to data provided by Trump's reelection campaign on Sunday, it has raked in over $30 million in the first three months of 2019 alone and now has $40.8 million at its disposal. The fundraising effort relied heavily on grassroots donors, with 99 percent of the contributions under $200, the report said. The average donation stands at $34.26.
Also on rt.com Bernie Sanders raises $6mn on first day of campaign...and former Clinton staffer blames RussiaTrump formally announced his reelection bid just a month into his term, earlier than any president in history. Since then, he has been hopping from one 'Make America Great Again' rally to another and firing up his base.
Trump's own fundraising efforts have been coupled with those of the Republican National Committee, which attracted $45.8 million in the first quarter and, unlike the Democratic National Committee, is far from being in debt.
While Trump is currently the sole contender from his party, the Democratic Party presidential roster keeps expanding, and already includes more than a dozen candidates. Together they form the most diverse fields in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, and the like, if not in terms of political agenda.
The race for the Democratic nomination might be in full swing, but their fundraising numbers are bleak in comparison to Trump's.
Left-leaning veteran Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who emerged as an early frontrunner, has raised over $18 million – though he stunned observers early on, raking in a whopping $6 million in the first 24 hours after announcing his campaign in late February.
According to the latest Morning Consult poll, Sanders leads the race with 23 percent, ahead of Sen. Kamala Harris of California and her nine percent, but is trailing former Vice President Joe Biden (32 percent) who has yet to announce his highly-expected bid for office. They are followed by Beto O'Rourke, who has eight percent of Democratic voter support.
Harris has amassed $12 million in donations, while O'Rourke has collected $9.4 million.
The report on Trump's fundraising success has been met with doubt and disbelief by the anti-Trump resistance crowd, and understandably cheered on by his supporters.
Trump's detractors, of course, could not help but drag Russia into the debate.
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