Trump campaign raises $160 million in September, majority of donations from small-dollar donors

The Trump campaign raised over $160 million in September, according to figures shared with Fox News, marking an increase from the $130 million raised in August through various committees. Despite this growth, Trump faces a considerable fundraising gap compared to Vice President Kamala Harris, whose campaign raised $361 million in August, with September figures yet to be disclosed.

The Trump campaign reported $283.1 million in cash-on-hand at the end of September, a slight decrease from the $295 million held the previous month. Meanwhile, Harris’ campaign reported $404 million in cash-on-hand as of last month.

The Trump team highlighted that a significant portion of their donations came from small-dollar donors, with an average donation size of $60, and 96 percent of contributions were under $200, per Fox News. Fundraising is critical for campaign activities and can be spent on vital expenses including staffing, advertisements, travel, and get-out-the-vote efforts.

Trump previously outpaced the Democratic Party in fundraising while Joe Biden was still the nominee in the second quarter of 2024. While Biden saw a temporary surge in fundraising following his abysmal debate performance, he quickly saw a dramatic decline in July before he eventually announced he was dropping out of the race. Since Harris has been the left’s nominee for president, her campaign has seen an increase in contributions, also driven by small-dollar donations.

Responding to the fundraising gap, RNC Chair Michael Whatley acknowledged the Democratic Party’s financial advantage, commenting to Fox News, "The Democrats have a ton of money. The Democrats always have a ton of money."

However, Whatley went on to emphasize confidence in the GOP’s ability to fund the campaign in the last five weeks until Election Day. "We absolutely have the resources that we need to get our message out to all the voters that we’re talking to and feel very comfortable that we’re going to be able to see this campaign through, and we’re going to win on November 5."