Trump Campaign, RNC Raise Record $141M In May After Hush Money Conviction

Former President Donald Trump's campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC) announced on Monday that they collectively raised $141 million in May. This massive fundraising happened despite Trump's conviction in hush money trial, which didn't deter his supporters from donating tens of millions of dollars to his campaign.

Notably, within 24 hours after the verdict, they reported a total of $52.8 million raised, accounting for just over 37% of their May total.

The latest fundraising marks a significant turnaround for Trump's campaign, which struggled earlier in the election year to match President Joe Biden's fundraising pace.

"President Trump raised $141 million this month [May] because Americans remember the roaring economy, secure border, and peace through strength at home and abroad under Donald J. Trump, and we will return to prosperity and success when he is re-elected in November," said Trump campaign senior advisors Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita in a joint statement, according to CNBC.

The boost in fundraising also coincides with Trump's recent conviction in the hush money trial.

Trump was convicted last Thursday on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

But despite the setback, Trump continues to garner significant support from major Republican donors. Following the New York jury's verdict, the Trump campaign claimed it raised $34.8 million in under seven hours.

Venture capitalist Doug Leone, a long-time Republican donor who had previously denounced Trump after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, announced on Monday that he would support Trump's campaign.

I have become increasingly concerned about the general direction of our country, the state of our broken immigration system, the ballooning deficit, and the foreign policy missteps, among other issues. Therefore, I am supporting former President Trump in this coming election," Leone said in a post on X.

Although the Republican campaign is not required to disclose these figures to the Federal Election Commission until later this month, the early announcement shows the camp's belief that the guilty verdict has invigorated Trump's supporter base, according to Associated Press.

In April, Trump and the RNC reported a combined total of just over $76 million, while Biden's political operation raised around $51 million.

The timing and scale of the fundraising reveal suggest that the Trump campaign views this financial influx as a strong indicator that the conviction has not affected, but rather galvanized, his efforts to reclaim the presidency.

In contrast, Biden's campaign has yet to disclose its fundraising totals for May.