Republican convention organizers have raised more than $85 million for the Milwaukee event that will nominate Donald Trump for president next week.
The convention organizing committee said in a statement that its total raised represents “a record amount raised by any Republican convention organizing committee in history.” The committee’s internal goal was $68 million.
“The outpouring of support for this convention has been greater than I ever imagined,” said Reince Priebus, chair of the MKE 2024 Host Committee, in the same statement.
He praised local Wisconsin organizations for playing an “integral role” in supporting fundraising efforts “because they know this convention is a great way to put Milwaukee on the map.”
The host committee is organized as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization designed to pay for transportation, venues and other expenses associated with the event, meaning it does not have to publicly disclose its donors.
Previous reports said Milwaukee-based Northwestern Mutual and Forest County Potawatomi, which operates a hotel and casino, have donated.
The news of the Republican fundraising comes as Democrats announced their host committee is on track to raise between $80 million and $100 million for the four-day convention in Chicago next month.
But Democrats are starting to sound the alarm about fundraising for their own candidates. Campaign donations have started to dry up after President Joe Biden made gaffes in his debate with Trump, and party donors are starting to more broadly voice concerns about the viability of the presidential bid.
On Wednesday, actor George Clooney, who has donated to Biden’s campaign, said he wants the president to step aside so another candidate can lead the Democratic ticket.
But Republicans, after months of fundraising shortfalls to Democrats, are starting to see donors coming back. Even before the debate and despite Trump’s criminal conviction on bribery charges, the Trump campaign was outraising Biden.
