Ron DeSantis’ campaign raised more cash than Donald Trump in last quarter, but here's a catch!
It is important to note that Donald Trump's numbers are not exactly what they appear to be
Figures released by Florida governor Ron DeSantis’ campaign revealed that he raised more cash than former president Donald Trump in the last quarter. He reportedly pocketed $20m against Donald’s $17.7m during April to June.
"Fundraising numbers are like the canary in the coal mine," said Michael Toner, a Republican campaign finance expert. Michael is also former chair of the Federal Election Commission.
"It's one of your first indications of whether a candidate is connecting with people in the party's base, whether they're generating enthusiasm and whether their message is resonating,” he added, according to BBC.
However, the scenario may not be as merry as it appears for Ron. It is important to note that Donald’s numbers are not exactly what they appear to be; his campaign said earlier this month that it had raised $35m. This amount is significantly ahead of Ron’s receipts.
What is the discrepancy about?
There appears to be a discrepancy because Donald has been directing a lot of his money to a fundraising committee that will report its financial numbers only at the end of July. The committee reportedly then passes some of the money on to the campaign. The rest of the cash is given to another committee. This process is said to help Donald pay his growing legal fees. Therefore, taking ‘cash in the bank’ into account, Donald is undoubtedly ahead of Ron, with $22.52m compared with $12.24m.
"Cash on hand gives a campaign the resources going forward," said Candice Nelson, a government professor at American University and academic director of the school's Campaign Management Institute. "If you need to hire more staff, you have the money there to do it. If you want to put together an early field campaign or do direct mail fundraising, there's just the cash to draw from."
Ron’s campaign spent $7.87m, which is 39% of the amount it raised, in only the six weeks his team has been running. Donald’s team spent $9.31m, which is more than Ron’s. However, Donald’s team is raising more money and has more money in the bank.