President Donald Trump announced plans to spend more than $400 million to help Republican candidates win the Nov. 3 midterm elections as the party fights to maintain control of Congress.
President Trump wrote in a post on his platform, Truth Social, on Tuesday that much of that sum has already been spent supporting his campaign.
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President Trump said, “More than $300 million has already been spent on advertising, direct and indirect voter contact, rallies, rally arenas, television rallies, voting programs, election integrity and more.”
“It is a great honor to do this on behalf of the Republican Party, which has done so much to bring our country back from oblivion.”
He added that November’s vote was “the most important midterm election in our nation’s history.”
The president did not provide a detailed breakdown of the spending, including how much money would go to individual races.
But the promised influx of spending comes as President Trump’s Republican Party faces headwinds ahead of the election, including an economic backlash and a protracted U.S.-Israel war with Iran.
Heading into the vote, President Trump’s approval ratings had fallen to record lows. A poll conducted this week by Reuters and Ipsos found that only 31% of Americans approve of Mr. Trump’s job performance so far.
As a result, some Republicans are trying to distance themselves from the president. Some are calling for more support, especially in a close race with the Democratic Party.
Questions are swirling about whether President Trump and his allies will tap into the war chest amassed by MAGA Inc., a super PAC named after his “Make America Great Again” movement.
As a super PAC (political action committee), MAGA Inc can raise an unlimited amount of money from donors to support or oppose federal candidates. But that spending is legally required to be independent of the campaign.
Last month, the Campaign Legal Center (CLC), a campaign finance watchdog, accused President Trump of violating those rules by claiming control over MAGA’s spending.
The group cited the president’s public statements, including an exchange with reporters in the Oval Office on Sept. 4 in which he was asked when he would start funding Republican candidates.
He responded that he would spend “whatever amount is necessary” to support the party. He added, “This is money from MAGA Inc. This is my money that I control.”
MAGA had $415.8 million in cash on hand as of September, according to its latest federal filings, making it one of the most important sources of Republican campaign funds.
However, according to Reuters, President Trump has questioned why the massive spending by super PACs has not improved Republican approval ratings in key races, including Ohio.
Other pro-Trump groups have also stepped up their political advertising, including two newly formed organizations associated with MAGA Inc., No Going Back PAC and Safety and Afforability PAC.
Ad tracker AdImpact found that No Going Back PAC contributed $68.7 million in political advertising last month alone.
Another Trump ally, tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, has reportedly spent $366 million on Republican campaigns since last year through his group America PAC and other Republican and conservative groups.
In the final weeks of the midterm elections, Trump himself entered the campaign trail, pushing a massive 32-day campaign. Future stops include South Carolina and Iowa.
The stakes in this year’s election are quite high. Control of Congress is in jeopardy.
Republicans currently hold slim majorities in both houses of Congress, but Democrats are trying to take advantage of President Trump’s declining popularity to flip the House and Senate.
If they succeed, they could hamper President Trump’s legislative agenda during the final two years of his term.
