Trump’s half billion dollar post-election windfall
President-elect Trump is being inundated with so much money from corporations and wealthy donors that his team expects to raise about $500 million by summer — even though he can’t run again, sources in his operation tell Axios.
Why it matters: By stockpiling so much cash, Trump is signaling he doesn’t want to be seen as a lame duck in his second term, and is ready to help political allies, punish opponents and help Republicans keep full control of Congress in 2026.
- “The money is just pouring in at Mar-a-Lago. Trump doesn’t have to lift a finger. Everyone’s coming to him,” said a Trump adviser who was among five insiders to speak with Axios anonymously to describe the inner workings of Trump’s operation.
- “We’re looking at half a billion [dollars] by June, and we’re on track,” this adviser said. “It’s sort of a target but it’s just a realistic projection of what’s happening.”
Zoom in: Trump’s donors are giving to a variety of accounts.
- They include the president-elect’s inauguration account, the MAGA Inc. super PAC, a political nonprofit called Securing American Greatness, the Republican National Committee and Trump’s presidential library fund.
- The donors run the gamut: from health care to agriculture, insurance, financial institutions, tech and cryptocurrency investors.
- “The crypto guys are just blowing it out,” the Trump adviser said. “It used to be $1 million was a big number. Now we’re looking at some folks giving like $10 [million] or $20 million.”
- “If the tech guys are giving big, it makes everyone give,” another Trump adviser added.