Biden campaign outraises and outspends Trump campaign in June
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In July, US President Joe Biden has faced a wave of calls from Democratic lawmakers to bow out of the race, and his fund-raising has reportedly sagged so far in the month.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
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President Joe Biden’s election campaign in June outraised and outspent his challenger Donald Trump, according to disclosures published on July 20 that showed Mr Biden’s coffers initially swelling even after a disastrous debate performance.
The main campaign account for Mr Biden, a Democrat, took in US$64 million (S$86 million) in June and spent US$59 million, largely on campaign ads, ending the month with US$95 million in the bank, according to a filing submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
Republican Trump’s main account reported raising US$21 million in June and spending about US$10 million, while having US$128 million in cash at the close of the month.
Mr Biden, 81, raised more than US$5 million in the three days following his June 27 debate against Trump
But in July, Mr Biden has faced a wave of calls from Democratic lawmakers to bow out of the race
Mr Biden and Trump have been locked in a tight race in national polls, though Trump has led in several polls in battleground states that could determine the winner of the Nov 5 presidential election.
Since early July, 35 congressional Democrats have publicly called on Mr Biden to end his re-election bid, with many citing his advanced age and difficulties on the debate stage. Several of Mr Biden’s fund-raising events are reportedly on hold, as some big-money donors have urged the President to bow out.
Should Mr Biden exit the race, control of his campaign’s funds could potentially pass to his running mate, Vice-President Kamala Harris, should she become the Democratic nominee.
Alternately, Mr Biden could transfer his war chest to the Democratic Party, which is already a major fund-raiser for his re-election effort and reported raising US$39 million with its main fund-raising group in June.
The main fund-raising account for Trump’s Republican Party raised US$67 million during the month.
Trump had outraised Mr Biden in May, when the former president’s supporters stepped up donations in the run-up to his May 30 conviction on business fraud charges, a case that Trump has decried, without evidence, as politically motivated.
The largest super PAC (political action committee) supporting Trump, known as MAGA Inc, reported raising more than US$22 million during the month, including US$5 million contributions by hotelier Robert Bigelow and by Mrs Linda McMahon, a former professional wrestling entrepreneur.
On Mr Biden’s side, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman gave US$3 million to FF Pac, a super PAC backing the president’s re-election effort, a separate filing with the Federal Election Commission showed. REUTERS
