RNC rakes in more than $27 million in April

The Republican National Committee (RNC) raised more than $27 million last month in a sign that the party’s finances have gone largely untouched by the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic meltdown.

The RNC brought in a total of $27.1 million in April, including transfers from other committees, and will report more than $77 million in cash on hand to the Federal Election Commission this week, when monthly financial reports are due.

The $27 million haul nearly ties the RNC’s best month so far this year. In January, the party brought in nearly $27.2 million. But the April total still surpasses the committee’s fundraising in both February and March, when it raked in $26.2 million and $24 million, respectively.

In a statement, RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel attributed the party’s April sum to an energized base of support behind President Trump and the GOP. 

“Another record-breaking fundraising month reaffirms that momentum for President Trump and Republicans across the country only continues to grow stronger,” she said.

In total, the RNC, the Trump campaign and its affiliated groups brought in about $61.7 million in April and are currently sitting on $255.6 million in cash on hand.

It’s unclear exactly how much money was transferred to the RNC from other committees, but the party’s April haul signals that it isn’t yet feeling the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced businesses across the country to shut down and prompted millions of layoffs. 

The Labor Department announced earlier this month that the U.S. unemployment rate had soared to 14.7 percent, its highest level since the Great Depression.

Other campaigns and committees have seen a dip in fundraising in the weeks since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the U.S. The Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee raised a combined $60.5 million in April, down from about $79 million in March. 

The reason for the decreased fundraising numbers is twofold. High unemployment numbers and a turbulent stock market mean that many would-be donors may be less willing to spend on political causes. At the same time, the public health risks associated with the pandemic have put a stop to in-person fundraising events and have forced candidates and committees to take their efforts entirely online.

The RNC has pumped tens of millions of dollars into building out its email, mailing and texting lists in recent years. About 66 percent of the party’s April fundraising total came from donors giving $200 or less.

McDaniel and other top RNC officials have also been reaching out to major party donors amid the pandemic in an effort to keep larger contributions flowing into the party at a time of growing expenses.

Trump Victory, the joint field operation between the RNC and the Trump campaign, is investing eight figures to hire an additional 300 staffers for its field program. And earlier this month, the RNC and the Trump campaign doubled their legal budget amid a growing debate over election laws and remote voting during the coronavirus pandemic.