Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign said a massive fundraiser in Florida on Saturday raised $50.5 million as the former president tries to replenish his coffers in his rematch against Democrat Joe Biden.
As such, the event, his biggest fundraiser yet, is a much-needed boost for Trump, who has been routinely insulted by Biden and is in the midst of a financial crunch due to rising legal fees and legal expenses from his criminal cases. and civilians.
The dinner, held at the Palm Beach home of billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson, will donate some of the money to a fundraising group that spent tens of millions of dollars on Trump’s legal fees.
While Trump has found it difficult to gain buy-in from some major traditional Republican donors, he maintains the support of some heavy hitters.
Co-hosts on Saturday, for example, include hedge fund investor Robert Mercer and his daughter and conservative activist Rebekah, investor Scott Bessent and casino mogul Phil Ruffin, according to the invitation to the fundraising event attended by Reuters.
“People are just wanting change. The rich want this, the poor want this,” Trump said before the event, accompanied by his wife Melania Trump, who has stayed away from the campaign until now.
Additionally, Biden spokesperson Ammar Moussa said on the social network X that billionaires attended Trump’s event due to tax preferences. “The ultra-rich are really mad at Joe Biden for making them pay their fair share,” he posted.
Paulson was named by Trump as a potential Treasury secretary, according to two sources. Bessent was also up for the role, one of these sources said.
In a statement released Saturday, Paulson said the “overwhelming support” at the dinner, which was expected to be attended by 100 guests, was a sign of enthusiasm for Trump.
Trump spoke for about 45 minutes, touching on the economy and the southern border with Mexico, fundraiser George Glass, Trump’s former ambassador to Portugal, told Reuters. “He also talked a lot about party unification.”
The Republican candidate’s team emphasized that the fundraising was double what Biden raised last month, more than 25 million dollars, in an event full of stars such as former Democratic presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
The numbers will not be confirmed until records are submitted to the Federal Election Commission. Campaigns sometimes go overboard with fundraising to boost donations.
