Trump says Republican midterm spending will exceed $400 million
The president says more than $300 million has already been spent ahead of the November 3 elections, but has given no breakdown of spending by race.
President Donald Trump said on October 20 that spending to support Republican candidates in the United States would exceed $400 million by the November 3 midterm elections, as his party tries to retain control of both chambers of Congress. The figure is Trump’s projected total; he did not give a detailed breakdown of where the money would go.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said more than $300 million had already been spent on advertising, direct and indirect voter contact, rallies, telephone rallies, efforts to get voters to the polls and what he called election integrity. He described the vote as the most important midterm election in the country’s history.
How the spending is being directed
The Guardian reported that the spending runs through Trump’s political operation and the aligned super PAC MAGA Inc. Al Jazeera, reporting with Reuters, said Trump had not specified how much would reach individual races. That leaves candidates and voters without a clear account of which contests the announced total is intended to support.
MAGA Inc had $415.8 million in cash reserves at the start of September, according to its latest federal filing as reported by Al Jazeera. Cash on hand shows the scale of the group’s resources, but does not establish how much of Trump’s projected spending will come from that balance. Super PACs can raise unlimited sums to support or oppose federal candidates, provided their spending remains independent of candidates’ campaigns.
That independence requirement has drawn scrutiny. Al Jazeera reported that the Campaign Legal Center accused Trump last month of violating the rules by claiming control over MAGA Inc’s spending. The accusation followed remarks Trump made to reporters on September 4, when he said the group’s money was money he controlled. The accusation is not a legal finding.
Why the November 3 vote matters
Republicans hold slim majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the midterm results will determine control of Congress, Al Jazeera reported. France 24 reported that Trump has been campaigning for candidates in states he won by double digits in 2024, while polls show Republican support slipping even in some traditionally Republican states.
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Sources and context
- Trump commits more than $400m ahead of high-stakes midterm electionsAl Jazeera, reporting with Reuters
- Trump says he will have spent $400m to support Republicans in midterms – US politics liveThe Guardian
- Trump campaigning in Republican strongholds amid slide in pollsFrance 24
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.