How Ron DeSantis’ War Chest Compares to Donald Trump’s

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Ron DeSantis and his backers have built up a war chest of more than $110 million, placing him ahead of the figure recorded by Donald Trump, according to a media report.

The Florida governor will formally enter the race for the 2024 Republican presidential candidacy on Wednesday during a conversation with Elon Musk in Twitter Spaces, according to NBC News.

This sets DeSantis up for a battle against former President Donald Trump, who announced his bid for a second White House term in November. Polling indicates DeSantis is Trump’s closest rival for the GOP nomination, though his support has fallen significantly in recent months.

Ron DeSantis speaks during an Iowa GOP reception on May 13, 2023 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Florida governor is expected to formally announce his 2024 presidential bid on Wednesday evening.
Stephen Maturen/GETTY

According to a Politico investigation, campaign group Friends of Ron DeSantis—the governor’s successful 2022 gubernatorial reelection campaign—had more than $80 million in its accounts in April, including $14 million raised during the first three months of 2023.

While this money can not be moved directly to DeSantis’ presidential campaign, it could potentially be transferred to a supportive Super PAC. However, this might trigger complaints from opponents.

An additional $33 million is said to be held by pro-DeSantis PAC Never Back Down, although this figure is yet to be confirmed in official filings.

The Trump campaign reported having $13.9 million in cash on March 31, with $18 million raised since his second presidential bid was officially announced in November, though balanced against various expenses.

Trump, MAGA Inc., a Super PAC backing the former president, also reported it had $55 million to spend at the close of 2023.

The New York Times reported that donations to Trump’s presidential election campaign increased significantly in April. It came after the news broke that he would face charges related to the alleged payment of hush money to Stormy Daniels.

Trump has denied falsifying business records to cover up the payment of money to Daniels, a former adult-film actor, to cover up an alleged affair ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

On Tuesday, it emerged Trump’s trial will begin on March 25, 2024, in the middle of the Republican primary season, leading Trump to complain of “ELECTION INTERFERENCE” on social media.

Newsweek has contacted the DeSantis and Trump campaigns, via email and online press contact form respectively, requesting more details about their funding.

After NBC News first reported that DeSantis will launch his campaign on Wednesday evening, which was later backed up by other outlets, Trump launched a blistering attack on the Florida governor via his Truth Social website.

He shared five articles and posts either attacking DeSantis or playing down his chances of victory, including a piece by conservative website The Gateway Pundit which described Trump as a “gift from God.”

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