Trump raises $141 million in May, bolstered by guilty verdict

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump ‘s campaign and the Republican National Committee say they raised $141 million in May, a massive fundraising haul that includes tens of millions of dollars raised in the aftermath of his guilty verdict in his criminal hush money trial.

Trump’s campaign is not required to publicly disclose its fundraising to the Federal Election Commission until later this month. But its decision to release the numbers early underscores how it sees the wave of contributions as evidence that last Thursday’s verdict has energized the former president’s supporters and as a sign that it will not hobble his efforts to return to the White House.

President Joe Biden’s campaign has yet to release its own May fundraising totals. Trump and the Republican Party reported raising $76 million in April, topping the more than $51 million reported by Biden and the Democratic National Committee that month for the first time.

It is unclear how much Trump and the GOP spent in May. But the sum could help them close the money gap with Biden that has persisted throughout the race.

Trump’s campaign said in a press release Monday that it had received more than two million donations in the month of May averaging $70.27. More than a third of that haul — 37.6% — came in the form of online contributions in the 24 hours after the verdict was announced, it said.

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About a quarter of the donors, it said, were new to the campaign.

“We are moved by the outpouring of support for President Donald J. Trump. The American people saw right through Crooked Joe Biden’s rigged trial, and sent Biden and Democrats a powerful message – the REAL verdict will come on November 5th,” Trump Campaign senior advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said in a statement.

Biden campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa said the campaign would “see how the numbers actually shake out” when they are officially reported, but said, “one thing’s for certain: Trump’s billionaire friends are propping up the campaign of a white collar crook because they know the deal - they cut him checks and he cuts their taxes while working people and the middle class pay the tab.”

Trump’s campaign announced last week that it had raised more than $50 million online in the 24 hours after the Manhattan jury announced its verdict, making Trump the first former president — and first major party presumptive nominee — in the nation’s history to be convicted of a crime.

He will be sentenced on July 11. ___

Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.