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Putting Trump’s campaign money in perspective

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Illinois

According to Trump’s latest report to the Federal Election Commission, his campaign had $1.289 million on hand on May 31. At the same time, Democrat Hillary Clinton had $42.461 million in her presidential campaign fund.

But Trump doesn’t trail just Clinton in campaign funding. Here are some other political candidates with more money in their funds than Trump had on May 31:

Gov. Bruce Rauner: $20.311 million.

Turnaround Illinois (Rauner allies): $2.254 million.

Friends of Michael Madigan: $1.372 million.

Citizens for Lisa Madigan: $2.173 million.

Tammy (Duckworth) for Illinois: $4.029 million.

(Mark) Kirk for Senate: $3.280 million.

Bill Foster and Bob Dold had more on hand than Trump, and Adam Kinzinger had just $10K less than Trump, according to Kacich.

Senate President Cullerton had more cash on-hand than Trump, as did the ILGOP, the Democratic Party of Illinois and, I’m sure, others.

* Related…

* How American Politics Went Insane - It happened gradually—and until the U.S. figures out how to treat the problem, it will only get worse.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 9:33 am

Comments

Dismissing Lewandowski and handing the reigns to Manafort should lead to more traditional results next quarter.

If he is in fact the nominee next quarter lol.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 9:40 am
From what I understand, Trump hasn’t contributed a dime to his campaign. It’s all been loans to the campaign.

Comment by Say It Ain't So!!! Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 9:41 am
Lewendowski was let go.

“Why?”

It wasn’t to change the campaign. It was because Trump needs someone smart enough to find an exit strategy out of being the nominee without hurting the Trump brand(?)

You don’t have $1.3 million ever as a POTUS Nominee and think you’re doing it right. Ever.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 9:42 am
One doesn’t need money when CNN and Twitter are free means of spreading one’s message. But wasn’t he being hypocritical in saying that he was self financed, but now expects the Republican special interests he castigated to donate?

Comment by jack28 Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 9:44 am
The opposite of yuge.

Be careful when you say you are filthy rich and are gonna self-fund your campaign… people might just take you up on it.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 9:46 am
Oswego Willy: I;m surprised he didn’t have a TV special with Gary Busey and Blago and told all 3 “You’re Fired.”

Comment by jack28 Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 9:46 am
Trump doesn’t need to raise money. One or two facebook post or twitter post and he is talked about by all the media. Facebook and twitter is free. Trumps strategy is so different most people still cant understand how he is making the world watch him without spending any money.

Comment by Bob Candy Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 9:48 am
==It wasn’t to change the campaign. It was because Trump needs someone smart enough to find an exit strategy out of being the nominee without hurting the Trump brand(?)== I think there is something to that. Trump strikes me as the dog that actually caught the car and now he has to figure out what to do with it.

Comment by SAP Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 9:51 am
Everyone complains about the money in politics. Finally a candidate isn’t blowing money all over the place and everyone says he’s failing. He could write a check tomorrow and have more in the account then Hillary. The amount is not the issue. Trump has not ran a typical campaign. He doesn’t need to.

Comment by BigDaddy Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 9:53 am
I hope you’re right OW. It was painfully obvious to everyone with an IQ over 80, Trump ran as a publicity stunt. The fact so many people took him serious and voted for him is disheartening.

Comment by Robert the 1st Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 10:02 am
- jack28 -

The ratings would be yuge and the revenue could fund about 2 1/2 weeks of a POTUS campaign. I think you’re on to something!

- SAP -, thanks.

I’m starting to feel all this maneuvering looks like a safe landing strategy.

Plus, who fires Lewendowski and talks about fundraising to then say he can self-fund in the next interview you give.

A pro fundraiser’s nightmare… a client refusing to acknowledge that they need fundraising.

If Trump could walk away a “winner” before the convention, that would be ideal, and ideal for the Trump brand.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 10:04 am
@Oswego Willy

I’ve never heard that theory before today, but I found this article you might find interesting. I’m more inclined to believe the last full paragraph’s point that Trump might just be an undisciplined narcissist, but it’s definitely an interesting idea nonetheless.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2016/06/12/trump_is_looking_for_a_way_out_130849.html

Comment by Chicago_Downstater Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 10:14 am
Trump won the primaries on a shoestring compared to the other candidates. He never had a very large balance in his campaign account. Anybody who has significant wealth can just write a check to cover expenses. Trump can spend as much as he wants between now and the end of July. He becomes eligible for $96 million in public financing on July 22. It would not surprise me if he utilized that public financing, and the unlimited fundraising ability of the RNC to fund the four and a half month general election.

Comment by Kent Gray Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 10:23 am
Very informative article — thanks for posting! I couldn’t help drawing parallels: Hard to think of the speaker as the last of a dying breed of legislative dealmakers and “middlemen,” and he isn’t mentioned in the article, but it would explain the obsessive focus on him by those who would bring Washington, D.C.-style partisan gridlock to Illinois.

Comment by olddog Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 10:24 am
it also interesting how much of trumps campaign expenses are payments to trump owned enterprises. and that trump is loaning money to his campaign, not just putting it in. So Trump is keeping the ability to oayhomself back 100% of his kikc in, and is using the money to pay himself. not sure why big money doners are not lining up to put money back into Trumps pockets….

Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 10:24 am
- Chicago_Downstater -

Thanks for you post, all of it.

- Kent Gray -

The scrutiny is going to grow exponentially.

… $96 million and an “open loaning” checkbook is not a campaign wanting to win.

Nope.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 10:27 am
Maybe this fellow could build on his victory over Gawker and step up as Trump’s new campaign manager: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlhowZb0m-s&feature=youtu.be&t=1m30s

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 10:55 am
is Trump really to be the nominee of the Republican/ReTrumplican party? he’s paying his own company so much money from whatever he raises, and that’s just the tip of the issue storm that he has. seems unlikely he can continue.

Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 11:02 am
The Atlantic Monthly article is interesting.

However I believe that while it points out some truths as to what has happened it errs far too greatly in defending the political ‘machines’ of the past. Yes, they did provide more order for the entire political process but also more authoritarian control.

The author would also have been well served not to negatively target virtually the entire list of Republicans while being very light, almost non existent on the defects of the Democrats.

For example, the ‘radicalization of the Republican party’ (but no mention of the radicalization of the Democrats), “Trump and Other Viruses” and the usual litany of attacks on Gingrich, the Koch brothers (not Soros), and demonizing Cruz and equating with that Jesse Helms.

Indeed, about the only Republicans to receive any positive recognition in any form are Boehner and Ryan because they have tried to continue the Republican (and Democratic) elite power functions.
Could not disagree more.

Comment by Federalist Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 11:35 am
Trump is taking money out of politics, but not in a good way.

Trump not having a GOTV operation was described as malfeasance by some Dem campaign strategist in an article I recently read. Per the article, the Obama campaign benefited by having the GOTV operation working early, and this increased turnout.

Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 12:01 pm
Maybe he’s out to set the record for how much faster he can raise money than anyone else?

Nothing about him is tied to the traditional way of doing things. I do think he can raise whatever he needs pretty quickly. Might even be part of a media strategy over a two week span with a tote board.

Comment by A guy Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 12:03 pm
Kent Gray: Finally a rational reason why I never check that square on my tax form.

Comment by jack28 Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 12:12 pm
Trump wants an exit strategy? Trunps’s extra large ego would never allow him ton exit out of the general election because he still thinks he can win.

I think he needed someone who knows how to win over the Republican party.

Comment by Mama Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 12:16 pm
== @MisterJayEm - Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 10:55 am: ==

Trump’s running mate?

Comment by Mama Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 12:25 pm
===He becomes eligible for $96 million in public financing on July 22. ===

A pittance. And if he puts that money in his pocket, via renting jets from himself or whatever, there’s gonna be heck to pay.

Just sayin…

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 1:06 pm
In 2012, Romney raised $300 million in individual contributions. $100 million of that was in the primary.

I would take the $96 million in instant, easy, free money, and send everyone to the RNC website. I think it’s unlikely Trump raises as much as Romney did in the general, so it is almost a wash. Btw…Trump won the nomination for about 40% of what Romney spent.

Comment by Kent Gray Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 1:30 pm
–I do think he can raise whatever he needs pretty quickly.–

Based on what? From whom? It’s nearly July. Who’s going to bundle those max $2,700 contributions?

You think it’s a coincidence that Trump fired his campaign manager right before this report came out?

Those still on his campaign are quoted in the NYT and WSJ today as saying the fundraising infrastructure is non-existent. And that Trump isn’t helping himself any by claiming he’ll self-fund, or by paying himself “rent” for his own house and offices.

Donors aren’t going to give him money so he can put it in his own pocket.

Trump’s own people say they need to raise $100 million a month, now through October. And they haven’t started.

Plus, they have no plans to operate an independent ground game or voter-identification data and analytics in swing states. That’s just loopy.

Primaries are kids’ stuff compared to national general election.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 3:30 pm
“Primaries are kids’ stuff compared to national general election.”

And Trump’s children — the same ones who couldn’t get their acts together to register to vote for him in the primary — appear to be taking charge of his campaign.

– MrJM

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/gop-primaries/donald-trump-ivanka-eric-kids-register-to-vote-new-york-primary

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/06/trump-kids-ousted-corey-lewandowski.html

Comment by @MisterJayEm Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 3:55 pm
He just raised $11 mill since yesterday.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/22/politics/donald-trump-11-million-since-tuesday/

Comment by Formerly Known As... Wednesday, Jun 22, 16 @ 11:03 pm
–He just raised $11 mill since yesterday.–

No, he didn’t. It’s RNC money. Trump will see little of it.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-ramps-up-fundraising-efforts-1466629460

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 12:06 am