Trump claims record-busting $50m haul from single Palm Beach fundraiser featuring ex-president and Melania
President Joe Biden raised $26m at a New York fundraiser last month
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The Trump campaign says that it raised $50.5m at a Saturday evening fundraiser in Palm Beach attended by the former president and wife Melania.
The financial boon is nearly double President Joe Biden’s haul of $26m from a New York City event last month.
The Florida soiree was held at the mansion of billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson, who hosted the event with his girlfriend Alina de Almeida.
Mr Trump spoke to the 117 guests in the home’s backyard for about 45 minutes after joining them for pictures, according to a campaign spokesperson, describing those gathered as “leaders”.
The former president spoke about energy production, border control, limiting inflation, extending tax cuts from his first term, and bashed President Biden for pushing carmakers to make more electric vehicles.
Mr Trump also spoke about protecting Israel amid its war in Gaza and Republicans’ growth among minority voters. He also challenged Mr Biden to debate him.
“Success will be our only revenge,” he told guests.
The guest list included a number of billionaires. Mr Trump initially struggled to attract big donors to his campaign, and several at first backed his primary rivals instead. However, since his overwhelming primary victory, the Republican Party has united behind the former president.
Co-chairs of the fundraiser included Las Vegas businessman Robert Bigelow; New York grocery billionaire John Catsimatidis; former World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon; casino boss Steve Wynn, and former Georgia senator Kelly Loeffler.
A $814,600 donation got you a seat at Mr Trump’s table while $250,000 covered a photo op with the former president and a personalised copy of his coffee table book featuring photos from his time in office.
Other guests included Woody Johnson, Mr Trump’s former ambassador to the UK and co-owner of the New York Jets; Harold Hamm, an oil and gas baron; and businessman Pepe Fanjul Jr.
Three of Mr Trump’s former Republican primary rivals – North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Senator Tim Scott, and Vivek Ramaswamy – also attended as did new RNC leaders Michael Whatley and Mr Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump.
All five made remarks at the event, a campaign spokesperson said. Dinner included an endive and frisee salad, filet au poivre, and pavlova with fresh berries for dessert.
Mr Whatley and Ms Trump said in a statement: “The success of tonight’s event is proving what we already know: Americans are fed up with Biden’s record of failure, from the open southern border and sky-high inflation to the migrant crime crisis that has made everyone less safe.
“The Republican Party is united behind the effort to elect President Donald J Trump, and Americans are lining up to join our movement and retire Crooked Joe Biden once and for all.”
Ahead of the Saturday fundraiser, Mr Trump appeared confident that he would outstrip Mr Biden’s fundraising record.
“Biggest night in Fund Raising of ALL TIME!!! Will double up the Biden number of last week at Radio City,” he wrote on Truth Social at 4pm.
But the fundraising success did not prevent the former president from airing yet more grievances about his slew of court cases on the social media platform.
In one post, he compared himself to the late South African president and revered anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, as he welcomed the prospect of going to jail for violating a gag order in his hush money case.
“I will gladly become a Modern Day Nelson Mandela — It will be my GREAT HONOR,” he wrote.
The Palm Beach event means that Mr Trump is catching up to the Biden campaign’s fundraising lead – but it’s unclear if the Republican camp can keep up the momentum and shift the narrative that it’s strapped for cash due to his multiple civil and criminal proceedings.
Mr Biden raised $26m at a New York fundraiser in March, where he was supported on stage by fellow Democratic presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Guests who attended that event were asked to shell out $100,000 for a photo with the trio.
The Biden campaign said they raised more than $90m last month with $192m in cash on hand.
Mr Trump and the Republican Party announced earlier this week that they raised $65.6m in March with $93.1m cash on hand.
Donations from the event will go to the Trump 47 Committee – a joint fundraising effort with the Republican National Committee, state Republican parties, and the Save America political action committee.
The setup means that donors first pay the maximum allowed under the law to the Trump campaign and Save America PAC before the RNC or state parties receive the rest.
Save America PAC has paid large parts of Mr Trump’s legal bills.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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