Trump smashes Obama’s small-donor fundraising pace, bests Clinton, Sanders combined
President Trump raised more money from small donors during the 2016 campaign than Sen. Bernard Sanders and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton combined, and also topped former President Obama during each of Mr. Obama’s presidential runs, according to a new analysis released Tuesday.
Mr. Trump raised about $239 million from small donors during the campaign, compared to $137 million for Mrs. Clinton and about $100 million for Mr. Sanders, according to the report from the Campaign Finance Institute.
Mr. Obama had raised about $219 million from small donors during the 2012 race and about $181 million during the 2008 campaign. Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP nominee, raised about $58 million from small donors that year.
Mr. Trump frequently boasted during the campaign about how he managed to hang tough while being vastly outspent by both Mrs. Clinton and his Republican primary rivals. But the new figures illustrate the significant level of support he did receive from those contributors giving $200 or less.
The figures represent donors who gave over the course of a two-year cycle, and so many Clinton, Sanders and Obama donors could have started small and eventually triggered the $201 threshold, according to the CFI analysis.
“Because Trump raised most of his money over four months, fewer of his donors had this experience,” the analysis said. “Even this caveat, however, does not negate the fact that his small donor numbers were record-shattering.”
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Mr. Trump got a bit of a late start homing in on raising money; half of his $100 million total through June 30 came from his own pocket, according to CFI.
But he started to catch up to Mrs. Clinton later on in the campaign, with the help of joint fundraising committees through the Republican National Committee and others. About two-thirds of his $309 million raised after June 30 came though those committees.
Percentage-wise, Mr. Trump was also way ahead of his rivals on small donations, as 69 percent of his total individual contributions of about $344 million came from those donors giving $200 or less.
Mr. Sanders, who made a name for himself in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary contest for the number of small donors he attracted, was at 44 percent ($226 million total) and Mrs. Clinton was at 22 percent ($619 million total).
Mr. Obama’s small donations made up 28 percent of his individual contribution total of $784 million in 2012, and 24 percent of his total of $746 million in 2008.
Mr. Romney’s small donations made up 12 percent of his $470 million in individual contributions in 2012.
Sen. John McCain, the 2008 GOP nominee, took public financing for the general election that year and was significantly more restricted on how much he could raise in the contest against Mr. Obama.
President Trump raised more money from small donors during the 2016 campaign than Sen. Bernard Sanders and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton combined, and also topped former President Obama during each of Mr. Obama’s presidential runs, according to a new analysis released Tuesday.
Mr. Trump raised about $239 million from small donors during the campaign, compared to $137 million for Mrs. Clinton and about $100 million for Mr. Sanders, according to the report from the Campaign Finance Institute.
Mr. Obama had raised about $219 million from small donors during the 2012 race and about $181 million during the 2008 campaign. Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP nominee, raised about $58 million from small donors that year.
Mr. Trump frequently boasted during the campaign about how he managed to hang tough while being vastly outspent by both Mrs. Clinton and his Republican primary rivals. But the new figures illustrate the significant level of support he did receive from those contributors giving $200 or less.
The figures represent donors who gave over the course of a two-year cycle, and so many Clinton, Sanders and Obama donors could have started small and eventually triggered the $201 threshold, according to the CFI analysis.
“Because Trump raised most of his money over four months, fewer of his donors had this experience,” the analysis said. “Even this caveat, however, does not negate the fact that his small donor numbers were record-shattering.”
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Mr. Trump got a bit of a late start homing in on raising money; half of his $100 million total through June 30 came from his own pocket, according to CFI.
But he started to catch up to Mrs. Clinton later on in the campaign, with the help of joint fundraising committees through the Republican National Committee and others. About two-thirds of his $309 million raised after June 30 came though those committees.
Percentage-wise, Mr. Trump was also way ahead of his rivals on small donations, as 69 percent of his total individual contributions of about $344 million came from those donors giving $200 or less.
Mr. Sanders, who made a name for himself in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary contest for the number of small donors he attracted, was at 44 percent ($226 million total) and Mrs. Clinton was at 22 percent ($619 million total).
Mr. Obama’s small donations made up 28 percent of his individual contribution total of $784 million in 2012, and 24 percent of his total of $746 million in 2008.
Mr. Romney’s small donations made up 12 percent of his $470 million in individual contributions in 2012.
Sen. John McCain, the 2008 GOP nominee, took public financing for the general election that year and was significantly more restricted on how much he could raise in the contest against Mr. Obama.
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