The Trump reelection campaign's monster fundraising numbers should scare Democrats

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The Trump reelection campaign's monster fundraising numbers should scare Democrats

PYEONGTAEK, SOUTH KOREA - JUNE 30: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to U.S. troops at the Osan Airbase on June 20, 2019 in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un briefly met at the Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ) on Sunday, with an intention to revitalize stalled nuclear talks and demonstrate the friendship between both countries. The encounter was the third time Trump and Kim have gotten together in person as both leaders have said they are committed to the

Kim Min-Hee - Pool/Getty Images

President Donald Trump.

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  • President Donald Trump's 2020 reelection campaign announced a massive fundraising haul in the second quarter of 2019, with $105 million raised.
  • All of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates dwarf in comparison, who also have to spend the bulk of their money on a wide open primary, which could be a long and drawn-out process.
  • In the meantime, the Trump campaign can blanket the country with high-dollar advertising investments, getting a considerable head start on what is shaping to be one of the biggest presidential elections in recent history.
  • Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

President Donald Trump's 2020 reelection campaign announced yet another quarter of gargantuan fundraising numbers along with the Republican National Committee. The $105 million total from April to June is a terrifying prospect for a lot of Democrats, many of whom are engaged in a wide-open presidential primary that is only just started to heat up.

Meanwhile, Trump is full-steam ahead for the general election with a year and a half to go until Election Day 2020.

Read more: No sitting president has survived a serious primary challenge in the past 50 years. Here's why Trump should be worried.

The Trump reelection campaign's fundraising in Q2 is a staggering amount. In context, it is almost $30 million greater than then-President Barack Obama's $86 million at the same point in 2011.

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"Our massive fundraising success is a testament to the overwhelming support for President Trump," Trump reelection campaign manager Brad Parscale said in a statement. "No Democrat candidate can match this level of enthusiasm or President Trump's outstanding record of results."

The campaign got a major boost in June from Trump's official announcement that he would be seeking reelection, though that has been apparent for the past two years. In the 24 hours after Trump's rally in Orlando, Florida, the campaign raised $24.8 million.

Democratic presidential candidates have not even come close to that first-day figure. Former Vice President Joe Biden managed to raise $6.3 million within 24 hours of announcing his 2020 run, just slightly ahead of former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke at $6.1 million, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders at $5.9 million.

The massive fundraising haul allows the Trump campaign a tremendous amount of room to do whatever they please with the funds, like purchasing the YouTube masthead on debate days, which can cost upwards of several hundred thousand dollars.

The Trump reelection effort also has a strong base of small-dollar donations fueling the campaign.

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In the first quarter of 2019, the Trump campaign took in quite a bit of small dollar donations less than $2,000, including $3.3 million directly to his campaign and another $17.4 million to the Make America Great Again joint fundraising committee.

Trump also benefits from not having to play by Democratic Party orthodoxy like eschewing corporate PAC money and wealthy donors. That brings in a sizable amount of money. Pair that with the campaign's large network of grassroots support and it makes for a pretty powerful machine.

Trump's primary challenger is not making even the smallest dent

Trump does have a primary challenger in former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld. While primary challengers against incumbent presidents do not succeed in unseating the nominee, they often expose fatal flaws and party infighting that more often than not result in party figureheads losing the general election.

It is a bit different this time around, as the RNC is placing its full weight behind Trump and not remaining neutral in Weld's extreme longshot bid for the GOP nomination.

Read more: Bill Weld is challenging Trump in the 2020 Republican primary. Here's everything we know about the candidate and how he stacks up against the competition

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In addition, Trump campaign staffers are not worried in the least about any damage Weld could do, according to GOP insiders. This is mostly due to the president's approval rating within the Republican Party remaining historically high, regularly staying above 90% among GOP voters.

While Weld is formally in the race, he is not doing much outside of making the occasional trip to New Hampshire for small meet and greets. His media presence is slim, as are his fundraising numbers.

And any other would-be primary challengers have effectively been scared off. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan decided against running for the GOP nomination in early June, and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich instead joined CNN as an on-air contributor, but is still soliciting donations for something.

This all leaves the Trump campaign with a lot of room and resources to do a lot of damage, while Democrats are busy fighting amongst themselves.

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