Former United States President Donald Trump's political organization on Monday announced that it had a "war chest" with more than $122 million stocked away that could be used to influence the 2022 midterm elections.
The massive fund reaffirms the Republican businessman's grip on the Republican Party and shows how he could scare away potential challengers for GOP representatives. The former president's Save America leadership political action committee was able to draw more than 1.6 million donations.
$122 Million War Chest
The majority of the fund was raised through Facebook text messages and other online solicitations from loyal Trump supporters. Trump was able to reach out to a large reservoir of small-dollar donors that he cultivated during his presidency. These are supporters that are expected to be loyal to the Republican businessman in a potential 2024 presidential bid.
The majority of the money in Trump's war chest, which equates to roughly $105 million, is held in Save America PAC and is the money that will not be available for a future Trump campaign. However, the former president could still use the massive fund to influence the 2022 midterm elections, Politico reported. Furthermore, the fact that he is able to raise so much money solidifies his position within the Republican Party.
The former president's various political arms were able to raise roughly $51 million of the money during the second half of the year. In a statement, Trump's Save America PAC said that the Republican businessman has contributed more than $1.35 million to the candidates and causes that he supported.
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Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich said that the former president has successfully built a political organization that captures and defines the future of the GOP. He noted that the Make America Great Again (MAGA) will be dominating the 2022 midterm elections and will also make an impact through 2024.
The former president's Save America leadership committee handed a total of $205,000 to dozens of Republican candidates that Trump endorsed between July and December of last year. The recipients included Sens. Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and John Kennedy. It also included Harriet Hageman who will be facing off against Rep. Liz Cheney, according to CNN.
Republican vs Democrats
Many Republican candidates who have aligned themselves with Trump have made their appeals to the Republican businessman in an attempt to gain his support. They are looking to gain resources to challenge both Democrats and establishment GOP members who are opposed to the former president.
In comparison to the major U.S. political parties, Trump now has nearly double the available cash on hand of either group. In December, the Democratic Party announced that it was able to raise roughly $157 million throughout last year, with $65 million being available as cash on hand in the bank. On the other hand, the Republican Party was able to raise a little bit more, totaling $158 million for last year's fundraising but only have $56 million available in the bank.
Independent reported that a chairwoman of the Republican Party, Ronna McDaniel, noted in her statement that the GOP's minor advantage in fundraising suggested that Republicans were "building the infrastructure to take back the House and Senate in 2022."
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