Despite a global pandemic that has shuttered much of the U.S. economy, the RNC’s total represented its best March fundraising performance in history. The figures will be part of a federal campaign finance filing due Monday.
Whether the RNC will be able to sustain its fundraising performance over the coming months is an open question. With jobless numbers on the rise, some party officials expect to see a drop off. The committee’s March totals are slightly less than the $26 million it raised in February. But the new figures illustrate the potency of Trump’s small-dollar machine. The president has monetized the enthusiasm of his base, turning it into a cash spigot that has funded a sprawling political apparatus.
The haul underscores how the pandemic has forced a shift in fundraising with less than seven months until the election. With high-dollar fundraising events canceled, the focus is on attracting small dollar contributions online. Nearly 75 percent of the RNC’s contributions were $200 or less.
