Political committees spent hundreds of millions of dollars during the month leading up to the election on a failed last-ditch effort to defeat President-elect Donald Trump, campaign finance filings show.
Outside groups spent $442.7 million on independent expenditures designed either to support Vice President Kamala Harris or to oppose Trump between Oct. 5 and Nov. 5, Federal Election Commission (FEC) records show. On the other side of the equation, PACs only spent about $160.7 million supporting Trump and opposing Harris over the same period. Despite the massive financial advantage, Harris lost the Electoral College and is on track to lose the popular vote as well, according to the New York Times’ projections.
“It’s so sad that campaign spending determines outcomes,” American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Tim Carney said sarcastically on X, responding to a chart showing that Democrats outspent Republicans on ads in every swing state. (RELATED: Stream Daily Caller Original Documentary ‘Cleaning Up Kamala’ Today)
Independent expenditures paid for by Trump and Harris allies bankrolled advertisements, direct mail, phone banking and canvassing operations, among other campaign activities, campaign finance records show. The bulk of the work done by outside groups to support Harris in the final stretch of the election came in the form of media purchases, with over $330 million spent in one month to reach voters through TVs, smartphones and radio waves.
Harris’ allies largely relied on dark money — where the original donor is unknown — to fund their home-stretch spending spree, according to FEC records. Future Forward PAC, the primary super PAC that supported Harris, was responsible for about 70% of the pro-Harris and anti-Trump spending during the final month of the election.
Of the $203 million the group raised between early 2023 and August, only about $89.8 million came from named individuals, according to FEC records. The rest came from a menagerie of political organizations, with Future Forward USA Action, a 501(c)(4) advocacy group affiliated with the PAC, being one of the largest contributors. Groups designated by the IRS as 501(c)(4) organizations are not legally required to disclose their donors but can engage in partisan political activities.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to board her plane at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Trump’s allies were considerably less reliant on dark money. Make America Great Again Inc., the primary super PAC behind the president-elect, took in about $286.2 million this election cycle, campaign finance records show. Of that sum, about $260 million came from named individuals.
Harris’ official campaign also had far more money than Trump’s, raking in nearly $1 billion in funds while the president-elect took in just $388 million, Forbes reported.
Before election day, Republicans voiced concerns about the fundraising gap between them and Democrats both publicly and privately.
Republican Montana Senator and National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Steve Daines expressed worries about “left-wing billionaires” outspending Republicans during his speech at the Republican National Convention. Congressional Leadership Fund President Dan Conston, meanwhile, told GOP insiders at a private retreat in August that Republicans were tens of millions of dollars short of being able to hold the House.
“Money can’t buy you love, but it can influence the outcome of an election,” NRSC executive director Jason Thielman told the Daily Caller News Foundation at the time.
“When Republicans have the resources to tell this story, we win,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Jack Pandol said, according to Politico. “We just can’t allow a green tsunami of Democratic cash to change the conversation from the issues.”
Republicans are projected to take the Senate and are heavily favored to retain the House after Tuesday’s elections, according to Decision Desk HQ.
The Trump and Harris campaign did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.
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