Trump’s presidential campaign announced on Wednesday evening that it raked in a whopping $45.5 million during the July-September third quarter of 2023 fundraising.
The former president’s political team also reported over $37.5 million in their campaign coffers as of the end of last month.
With three and a half months to go until the Iowa caucuses kick off the 2024 GOP presidential nominating calendar, Trump is leagues ahead of his large field of challengers in the latest national polling and crucial early state surveys.
Trump’s lead expanded over the spring and summer as he made history as the first former or current president in American history to be indicted for a crime. Trump’s four indictments — including in federal court in Washington D.C. and in Fulton County court in Georgia on charges he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss — have only fueled his support among Republican voters in both polling and fundraising.
Earlier on Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign reported a $15 million fundraising haul the past three months. But DeSantis figures were down from the $20 million he brought in during the second quarter of fundraising.
Trump’s campaign, in their release, took aim at DeSantis for what they described as an “exponential drop” in the governor’s fundraising.
Fundraising, along with polling, is a key metric in determining a candidate’s strength and grassroots appeal. Fundraising dollars can be used to build up candidate’s campaign structure, grassroots outreach, and get out the vote efforts, and to pay for travel and ads.