Trump Campaign Set To Raise $43 Million At Palm Beach Fundraiser - 'Greatly Exceeding Expectations'

A Palm Beach fundraiser on Saturday is expected to net presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump $43 million as the 45th president ramps up his fundraising efforts as the November election nears. The massive haul is two-thirds of what Trump and the RNC raised in total for March, and it nearly doubles President Joe Biden's recent high-profile fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall in New York City alongside former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

The fundraiser's success is largely due to Trump's initiative, with the Republican leader reportedly calling up fellow billionaires to encourage them to donate to the Save America PAC. Wall Street billionaire John Paulson will host the fundraiser, featuring an "Inaugural Leadership Dinner" selling tickets as high as $824,600 for a seat at President Trump's table. In addition to Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump being in attendance, the event will also include former presidential candidates Vivek Ramaswamy (R-OH), Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).

"This event is greatly exceeding expectations and shows the Republican Party is united behind President Trump," a source familiar with the fundraiser told Axios. The massive fundraiser is expected to be a major boon for the Trump campaign, which has begun to close the campaign cash gap between Trump and Biden. One of the main ways campaign strategists Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles are attempting to catch up is by closely monitoring the campaign's finances and holding fewer rallies that can cost as much as $500,000 each, as reported by Bloomberg. With Trump leading in nearly every swing state, the strategy could payoff as Biden traverses the country to invigorate his base. With Biden's approval rating at below 40 percent, Biden's various campaign stops are a reminder of his failed policies to the 55 percent of voters that disapprove of the Democrat president.

The Palm Beach, Florida fundraiser's tremendous success dwarves the Biden campaign's star-studded fundraiser last month, which raised $26 million. The Manhattan fundraiser, which had pricey $100,000, $250,000, and $500,000 tickets, was advertised as the highlight of Biden's March campaign push, which saw the 81-year-old president traveling to swing states to reinvigorate his struggling campaign. The event featured a panel discussion with the three presidents hosted by late-night host Stephen Colbert, as well as performances by Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, and Lea Michele. First Lady Jill Biden and DJ D-Nice also hosted an after-party event. The fundraiser, which had around 3,000 donors in attendance, sold out but was repeatedly interrupted by pro-Palestine protestors.

While Biden still maintains a sizeable lead in the cash he has on hand, Trump is catching up. As previously reported by the DC Enquirer, Trump and the RNC were able to raise $65.6 million in March and ended the month with $93.1 million on hand to fund Trump's presidential campaign. Trump's March fundraising numbers dwarf his previous donation numbers, with Trump raising $9 million in January and $20 million in February. Campaign advisor Susie Wiles explained that the large influx of cash to the campaign is thanks to the campaign "steadily ramping up our fundraising efforts, and our March numbers are a testament to the overwhelming support for President Trump by voters all across the spectrum. Republicans may not be beneficiaries of the self-interested largess from Hollywood and Silicon Valley elites, but President Trump is proud to be supported by donations from voters who are the backbone of this nation, which will fuel Republicans up and down the ballot."

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