Trump Has Already Raised $106M For 2020 Campaign

New York Magazine reports:

At this point in their first terms, the last five presidents had raised a combined $0 for their own reelection campaigns. But like so many other norms, Donald Trump has smashed that one, raising more than $100 million toward his own bid for a second term in office, Federal Election Commission filings show.

Between his own campaign committee and the two joint fundraising efforts he has with the Republican National Committee, Trump has raised $106 million since taking office. He brought in $18.1 million in the last quarter and had $35 million on hand at the end of September.

That’s quite a haul that will likely put Trump at a distinct advantage over whoever emerges from the crowded Democratic field to challenge him in 2020.

The New York Times reports:

President Trump’s campaign more than doubled its spending over the past three months as the president worked to rev up the Republican base ahead of next month’s midterm elections through a series of rallies and online appeals.

The largest recipient of Trump campaign funds was a company called American Made Media Consultants, which was created by the campaign to purchase digital, radio and television advertising, including online fund-raising solicitations.

The model, which is patterned off one pioneered by Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign, could also allow the campaign to avoid disclosing to the election commission precise details about its spending, instead just listing line-item expenditures.