Donald Trump announced Tuesday, 20 October, that the spending he has made or will make to support the Republican Party will exceed 400 million dollars before the November 3 midterm elections. The commitment aims to bolster the campaign and voter mobilization two weeks before Election Day in the United States.
In a message posted on his social media accounts, the president said that more than 300 million dollars had already been spent. He mentioned advertising, rallies and activities to boost voter turnout among the uses for those funds.
The distinction between the two amounts is important: the more than 400 million refers to the amount Trump said he had spent or expected to spend before the election, not a sum he declared had been fully disbursed. He also did not announce an additional 400 million on top of the more than 300 million he reported as spent.
The president linked his decision to support for the Republican Party and its policies. His message presented the funding as a way to support that political party in the midterm elections, not as a new government program.
The figures describe election spending as Trump presented it: part of the money he says has already been used and the rest he has pledged to spend before 3 November. Therefore, the announcement does not amount to independent verification of the sum actually spent.
Image: Donald Trump in his official portrait from 2017. File photo: Shealeah Craighead.
