U.S. President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign and Democratic Party allies amassed over $42 million in January, bolstering their war chest to $130 million in anticipation of a potential showdown with Republican Donald Trump in the general election.
The fundraising surge, fueled largely by small-dollar online donations, underscores the campaign’s growing grassroots support.
Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Biden’s campaign manager, hailed January’s fundraising as a robust display of strength at the outset of the election year. The funds collected encompass contributions to the Biden campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and affiliated joint-fundraising committees.
Biden embarked on a fundraising tour of California, slated to attend events in Los Angeles and San Francisco before returning to Washington.
The trip coincides with a restructuring of his re-election campaign, with top White House aides Mike Donilon and Jen O’Malley Dillon joining the effort to refine strategy and planning in response to concerns among Democrats about a shaky start and tepid polling for the incumbent president.
Recent polling by Reuters/Ipsos shows Biden and Trump in a tight race for the White House, with Trump garnering 37% support and Biden trailing slightly at 34%.
The survey, conducted following Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report, which cleared Biden of charges related to classified documents but raised concerns about his memory and mental acuity, underscores the competitive nature of the upcoming election.
