Bracelets, drones, ads. How Harris is spending campaign cash

Summary

The transcript discusses the evolving dynamics of political fundraising ahead of the 2024 elections, highlighting a significant fundraising gap between Democratic candidates like Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. It explores concerns among Republicans regarding Trump's ability to mobilize support and raise funds for down-ballot races, as well as the impact of campaign spending in a polarized electorate. The analysis emphasizes the unique enthusiasm Harris generates within the Democratic Party, contrasting with perceived donor fatigue among Trump’s base. Upcoming campaign finance reports are anticipated to shed light on grassroots support and overall candidate viability.

Takeaways

• 📊 Republicans are focusing their campaign funds on key battleground states like Ohio and Pennsylvania.
• 💰 There are concerns within the GOP regarding Trump's lower fundraising and its potential negative impact on down-ballot candidates.
• 🤔 Trump's past candidates were more generous in supporting fellow Republicans compared to his current approach.
• 📉 Kamala Harris's campaign has made significant investments, contributing $25 million to Congressional Democrats, contrasting with Trump's fundraising efforts.
• 🗳️ Despite heavy spending by Democrats, the race remains tight, suggesting that campaign spending alone may not significantly shift voter opinions.
• 🌐 The changing political landscape has made it easier for candidates to communicate their messages through cheaper platforms like social media.
• 🔍 The impact of money in campaigns is being closely monitored, particularly how it translates into voter engagement and turnout.
• ✨ Harris's campaign has generated organic enthusiasm among Democratic voters, attributed to her being a fresh candidate in the field.
• 📅 Upcoming campaign finance reports on October 15 will provide more insight into the fundraising landscape and voter enthusiasm.
• 👥 The drop-off in small-dollar donations for Trump may indicate donor fatigue after years of contributing, contrasting with the excitement around Harris.

Q & A

What are the main concerns for Republicans regarding fundraising in the 2024 campaign?

Republicans are worried about a trickle-down effect with Trump raising less money than Democrats, which may impact down-ballot candidates who need financial support.

How does Kamala Harris's fundraising compare to that of Donald Trump?

Kamala Harris's campaign has sent around $25 million to Congressional Democratic campaigns, whereas Trump has not made similar investments, raising concerns about his support for down-ballot races.

What was Trump's focus after losing the 2020 election, and how did it affect Senate races?

After losing the 2020 election, Trump was more focused on contesting the election results rather than helping Republicans in the Georgia special elections, which contributed to a distancing between some Republicans and Trump.

How has the polarization of the electorate influenced campaign spending effectiveness?

The polarization of the electorate suggests that while money still matters, it may not shift voter preferences significantly, especially in a close race where opinions are entrenched.

What impact does digital advertising have on Harris's campaign strategy?

Harris has a significant advantage in digital advertising spending, with almost a three-to-one ratio over Trump, which could help in defining her candidacy to voters.

Why is the upcoming campaign finance report on October 15 significant?

The report will provide insights into the small-dollar donor contributions for both Trump and Harris, helping to gauge donor enthusiasm and the financial dynamics of their campaigns.

What does a higher fundraising success indicate about voter enthusiasm?

A higher fundraising success for Harris may indicate stronger enthusiasm among Democratic voters, while a drop-off in Trump's small-dollar donations could reflect donor fatigue.

How does the spending in the 2024 campaign compare to previous elections?

The spending patterns in the 2024 campaign show Democrats have consistently outspent Republicans, raising questions about the effectiveness of traditional campaign strategies in a polarized environment.

What challenges does Trump face with his fundraising efforts?

Trump faces challenges due to a potential exhaustion among his small-dollar donors, who may have contributed to him for an extended period, leading to decreased financial support.

What unique qualities of Kamala Harris might contribute to her fundraising success?

Harris's unique qualities include being seen as a fresh candidate within the Democratic Party, which has allowed her to tap into new audiences and generate organic enthusiasm among voters.

Outlines

00:00

📊 Campaign Strategies and Polling Dynamics

This part discusses the competitive dynamics between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump as they approach the 2024 election. It highlights Harris's fundraising success, particularly in attracting small-dollar donations, which signifies grassroots support. The analysis emphasizes how Trump's fundraising is lagging behind, raising questions about his appeal and the overall enthusiasm of his base. Furthermore, the segment examines recent polling trends, noting a statistical tie between the candidates despite Harris's significant financial advantage, suggesting the limits of money in shifting voter sentiment in a polarized political environment.

05:00

💰 Fundraising Disparities and Political Impact

In this segment, the conversation shifts to the implications of campaign financing in the electoral landscape. It notes that while Harris has made considerable contributions to support Congressional Democrats, Trump’s lesser involvement raises concerns among GOP members about his commitment to the party. The discussion also touches on how despite significant spending, Harris's lead over Trump remains narrow, indicating the challenges of translating financial resources into electoral success. The speakers reflect on the evolving nature of voter engagement and the importance of upcoming campaign finance reports, which are expected to provide insights into the fundraising efforts and grassroots enthusiasm for both candidates.

Keywords

💡Campaign Funding

Campaign funding refers to the financial support that candidates receive to promote their political campaigns. In the context of the video, the discussion highlights the differences in funding strategies between Democratic and Republican candidates, particularly Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. The video notes that Harris's campaign has significantly invested in Congressional Democrats, indicating a strategic effort to enhance party support, while Trump appears to be less focused on down-ballot races.

💡Polarization

Polarization refers to the growing divide in public opinion, often resulting in extreme political positions and diminished willingness to compromise. The video emphasizes how the current political landscape is highly polarized, affecting the effectiveness of campaign spending. For example, despite Harris's substantial financial advantage, the electorate remains largely unchanged, illustrating how deeply entrenched partisan views can limit the impact of traditional campaign strategies.

💡Small-Dollar Donations

Small-dollar donations are contributions made by individual supporters, typically amounting to less than $200. In the video, the significance of these donations is discussed in relation to Trump's fundraising efforts, with suggestions that his base may be experiencing donor fatigue. The script contrasts this with Harris's stronger engagement in small-dollar contributions, indicating a potential enthusiasm gap between the two candidates.

💡Down-Ballot Races

Down-ballot races refer to elections for offices other than the main candidate, such as congressional or state legislative seats. The video highlights concerns within the Republican Party about insufficient support for these candidates from Trump, which could jeopardize their chances in key races. The ability to secure funding and support for down-ballot races is crucial for maintaining party strength and influence.

💡Digital Advertising

Digital advertising involves the use of online platforms to promote a candidate or campaign. The video points out that Harris has been able to leverage digital ads effectively, achieving a three-to-one advantage over Trump's campaign in this area. This strategy underscores the importance of reaching voters through modern channels, especially given the polarized nature of the electorate.

💡Campaign Strategy

Campaign strategy encompasses the overall plan and tactics employed by a candidate to secure votes and win elections. In the video, the discussion revolves around the strategic choices made by both Harris and Trump regarding where to focus their resources and how to engage with voters. The contrasting approaches to funding and messaging reveal insights into their respective campaign strategies and highlight the evolving nature of political campaigning.

💡Voter Engagement

Voter engagement refers to efforts aimed at motivating and mobilizing voters to participate in elections. The video discusses how the funding dynamics and campaign strategies impact voter turnout, suggesting that higher spending could potentially lead to increased engagement. However, it also notes the limitations of money in influencing voter decisions in a polarized environment.

💡Election Cycle

An election cycle refers to the period leading up to an election, encompassing various phases of campaigning, fundraising, and voter outreach. The video highlights the significance of the 2024 election cycle, noting the urgency and high stakes involved as candidates prepare for the upcoming election day. Understanding the nuances of this cycle is crucial for analyzing candidates' behaviors and strategies.

💡Grassroots Support

Grassroots support refers to the backing a candidate receives from ordinary citizens, typically through small donations and volunteer efforts. The video illustrates how Harris's campaign has generated more grassroots enthusiasm compared to Trump, pointing to a potential shift in voter sentiment within the Democratic Party. This concept emphasizes the importance of engaging everyday voters in building a successful campaign.

💡Fundraising Disparities

Fundraising disparities refer to the differences in the amounts of money raised by competing candidates or parties. The video examines how Harris has outperformed Trump in terms of fundraising, especially in small-dollar donations, raising questions about the implications of these disparities on overall campaign effectiveness. The disparities in fundraising can be indicative of broader trends in voter enthusiasm and party support.

Highlights

Republicans are concentrating their financial resources in key states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, reflecting strategic electoral targeting.

There is a concern among Republicans about Trump's fundraising lag compared to Democrats, potentially affecting down-ballot races.

Past presidential Republican candidates have been more supportive of down-ballot races than Trump, causing unease within the GOP.

Kamala Harris's campaign has allocated $25 million to Congressional Democrats, showcasing significant party support compared to Trump's contributions.

Trump's focus on personal election contests post-2020 contributed to Republican distancing from him after January 6th.

The relationship between campaign spending and electoral success is under scrutiny, with discussions on whether it truly impacts voter behavior in a polarized environment.

Despite significant spending, Harris's campaign has not notably shifted her poll numbers ahead of Trump, indicating voter entrenchment.

The ratio of digital ad spending between Harris and Trump highlights a strategic advantage for the Democrats in reaching voters.

The upcoming campaign finance reports on October 15th will provide more insight into the fundraising dynamics between Trump and Harris.

Trump's small dollar donors may be experiencing fatigue after years of contributions, raising questions about ongoing support.

Harris appears to be tapping into a fresh enthusiasm within the Democratic Party, contrasting with past candidates who lacked excitement.

The podcast discussion emphasizes the disparity in fundraising strategies between the two parties and the implications for the electoral landscape.

The significance of campaign contributions is highlighted, showing a complex relationship between money and voter mobilization.

Trump's fundraising approach has evolved, with concerns about donor engagement after extensive fundraising post-2020 election.

Political enthusiasm is a key factor, as Harris's fresh appeal may be influencing donor contributions more positively than Trump's.

The conversation points out the unusual nature of current campaign dynamics, with substantial spending yielding minimal shifts in voter sentiment.

Transcripts

so may kamla Harris's presidential

campaign is raising a lot more money

than Donald Trump's and they're doing

some pretty fun things with it I

wondered if you had hundreds of millions

of dollars to spend on a presidential

campaign what's the most ridiculous

thing that you would spend that money

on a Taylor Swift

concert I don't I don't even know if the

Harris campaign can afford that that's

yeah you're right maybe that's just a

pipe dream but since Taylor endorsed her

you know it seems like a possibility I

guess uh for them like an in-kind

contribution I I still haven't heard any

reports of this concert coming into play

but maybe there's going to be a surprise

late in the campaign yeah it would be

really interesting if she popped up at

some point since the Harris campaign had

no idea that endorsement was coming they

were praying for it but they didn't know

it was coming

welcome to the campaign moment from The

Washington Post I'm Aaron Blake senior

political reporter and writer of the

campaign moment newsletter it's Tuesday

October 8th and today I'm joined by mave

Reston mave is a national political

reporter covering the 2024 campaign and

the politics of the American West hey Ma

so good to be with you

[Music]

guys so today's show is about something

we don't talk about a a whole lot on

this podcast and that is campaign money

vice president KLA Harris's campaign and

the Democrats are currently outspending

former president Donald Trump's campaign

and Republicans by a wide margin that's

according to a new Washington Post

analysis so we wanted to break down what

the campaigns are spending their money

on what it means and whether the

spending gap between the two parties

could ultimately make a difference in

what is still a very close race

Ma I'm excited to talk about this

because campaign Finance is something

that I used to get really excited about

like the reports would come out midnight

on the given day and I'd sort through

all of them and I'd try to find little

nuggets that would give us some clues

about where the campaigns are going and

who's up and who's down what campaigns

look strong but today I want to lean on

you because I don't watch this stuff as

closely as I used to you've been

covering campaign finance a lot this

cycle and you've also been on the

campaign Trail covering the Harris

campaign are you seeing ways in which

this financial advantage presents itself

out on the campaign Trail like is are

there certain things that you see about

how the Harris campaign does things that

tell you that they're just flush with

cash right now yeah it's been really

interesting just going to some of her

rallies because you know usually at this

point the campaigns are trying to spend

you know all of their money on ads or

their ground organizers and it is just

clear that she can kind of flex that

money Advantage I was um at a rally in

Nevada with her recently and I counted

in the line a dozen misters that were

Mister like spraying water on people yes

like these sort of fans that send out

this jet of cool mist over people as

they're waiting in line you know in 100°

weather for sometimes for hours the

lines themselves are shaded with these

white tents that you might see you know

at an event to keep people out of the

Sun at the rallies that I've been to In

in North Carolina and a couple of other

ones there have been uh DJs outside

getting people warmed up um in Charlotte

they were playing um mown Philly and you

know great s great s poison people were

just dancing in line under these tents

and as people go in the door they get

these uh like light up wristbands that

you might see at a concert which um a

campaign Aid was telling me are are

synchronized to the music so sometimes

certain sections of the stadium you know

as speakers are speaking or as she's

speaking will light up and KLA Harris's

campaign has also done extra things to

try to get the attention of you know

voters who maybe are not tuned into

politics at all one example of that was

that she had an aerial drone show over

the Philadelphia Museum of Art just

before the presidential debate um and it

lit up the sky with messages like Madame

President and her signature line when we

fight we win and uh we're not going back

which is her standard call response line

at the rallies so you just see all of

these little signs obviously none of

that costs as much as the TV adds to you

but she has like the money to add all

these extra Frills to make it like a

really fun experience for the people

going to her rallies I'm glad you said

that is it a situation in which they

just have more money than they know how

to spend or do they actually see

benefits from doing these kinds of

things you know the Drone show and the

light up bracelets and things like that

well you know I think what it is is that

because they have this extra money you

know they feel like they can things like

the Drone show to try to reach people in

different you know corners of America

that that might not otherwise be plugged

into to political messaging and then on

the other side it's just about you know

really energizing their supporters and

making sure that they are excited and

want to get out in November that's

really interesting I know we said at the

top we mentioned that there was a big

fundraising disparity in this campaign

but I want to break that down a little

bit because I think that a lot of times

these numbers are pretty impenetrable to

people like you'll see reports about

this candidate raised x amount in the

third quarter and this candidate raised

x amount in August can you just break

down for me how much more money the

Harris campaign has than the Trump

campaign right now and how much more

it's raising yeah the most recent

campaign Finance reports that we have

which are the the reports that they have

to file to the federal election

commission um so their verifiable

numbers are from August and in August

Harris outraised Trump by more than four

to one so that's just a huge Advantage

now of course that is just her campaign

alone so that doesn't count like the RNC

the Republican National Committee and

the Democratic National Committee that

are spending now in coordination um with

the Harris campaign and the Trump

campaign but even there you know if you

combine what the Harris campaign raised

and the DNC they raised 258 million and

then the Trump campaign and the RNC

together raised 83 million so you can

see that it's really across the board

and my colleagues Michael sheer and Josh

dossy and N mores did a really great

piece kind of breaking down the spending

itself and in that piece they found

basically that the the size of Harris's

campaign is basically like three times

as big as Trump's campaign so that just

gives you a sense of the scale and how

much bigger the organization is both in

staff um you know what they can spend in

ads there's just a huge money Advantage

there yeah I wanted to dive into that a

little bit more because this is really

interesting to me I think at the

beginning of this cycle there was a lot

of talk about how Trump's campaign was a

little bit more of a professional

operation than it used to be you know

especially relative to the 2016 campaign

where he kind of came out of nowhere and

relied a lot on social media and digital

ads and things like that there was a lot

of talk about how Trump's campaign was

really taking this more seriously and

was kind of more of a traditional

operation so is it more that the Harris

campaign is just that big or is it that

the Trump campaign is also pretty

small well I think that the Trump

campaign certainly Prides themselves on

being a leaner more efficient operation

you know James Blair who runs the the

Pol iCal side and oversees all the

ground game stuff that's happening

talked about how when he came in he did

actually an audit of the 2020 campaign

and looked at all of the ways in which

he thought that that previous campaign

wasted money basically you know whether

it was having too much ground

organization in the states or he drilled

down the numbers to like how much it

cost per vote and so they came in with a

mandate to run like a a much leaner more

efficient machine and that's what

they're doing relying a lot on some of

these outside groups to help them with a

ground game but I think the other thing

that we have to remember is that Biden

did have a bigger operation from the

beginning but he also was struggling

toward the end to raise as much money as

he needed to support that operation

there was a point this summer where

actually after Trump was convicted in

the Manhattan case in the Manhattan case

of those felony counts Trump at that

point actually started to Eclipse Biden

in how much he was Raising and there

were obviously a lot of donors that were

really concerned about Biden who were

withholding checks and so when kamla

Harris entered the race it was like this

volcano of democratic fundraising

enthusiasm and I think that is you know

in part what is fueling this huge

disparity that we see here there were a

lot of donors that were not giving her

AIDS have said that almost 3 million

donors who contributed in August that

about a third of them were giving for

the first time this cycle so there's

that newness that freshness and that is

in part driving the disparity that we're

seeing one thing I'm really interested

in in these numbers and you mentioned it

when you were going over the kind of

Topline numbers of how much money these

campaigns have is that the Trump

campaign is relying a lot more on

outside groups on super packs that are

running ads for them the kind of

drawback here is that those groups

whether they're running ads or doing a

ground operation that's helping the

Trump campaign they're prohibited in

certain ways from coordinating with the

Trump campaign so the Trump campaign has

less control over them they might have

different priorities than the Trump

campaign that don't exactly match up can

you just talk a little bit about what it

means that all of this money that kind

of helps them close the gap at least

somewhat is being uh spent by these

outside groups rather than the Trump

campaign or the Republican National

Committee themselves yeah well one big

thing that changed this year which is a

little bit in the weeds but the Federal

Election Commission issued this opinion

that the campaigns could actually

coordinate with outside groups

specifically on the ground game they

can't get in a rim together and say we

want you to put this message in the ads

but they can discuss like the voters

that they're targeting and where they're

targeting so the Trump campaign has been

able to work pretty closely with some of

these outside groups that are focused on

the ground game including one of the

packs that Elon Musk is involved with

for example so on that side there is

some permitted coordination and then on

the ad side you've got packs like Maga

Inc and The Preserve America super pack

that's uh bankrolled by billionaire

Miriam adelon who of course her husband

was Sheldon Adon who was the CEO and

chairman of the casino Company Las Vegas

stands and he was a mega Republican

donor for many years and she has now

taken over that role within the party

and that group is planning to spend as

much as 100 million on ads the cycle but

what's interesting is that they are run

by people who have been in the trusted

Trump orbit over the years and so I

think there has been like a real

alignment in the sense that they take

their cues from the messaging that Trump

is putting out there and then kind of

adapt that into their ads so for example

we've seen Maga Inc which is basically

bankroll by Timothy melon their

reclusive ER to the melon family um

doing a lot of ads on immigration for

example echoing Trump's message that

kamla Harris has allowed this you know

Invasion across the border and that she

would be weak on on immigration so I

mean I think that the messages have been

targeted in that sense that they do

align but but there is of course a huge

risk there and we should mention that

the future forward pack on the

Democratic side which is totally an

outside group is doing a lot of the

messaging for kamla Harris's campaign

but again these are people that are you

know have been in the the Democratic

orbit for so long that there's a bit of

a mind meld I think the bigger question

is whether these outside groups that the

Trump campaign is relying on from the

ground game really all have their act

together um and you know even with that

coordination if they can follow through

on the kind of things that you need to

turn out voters in those final important

days as much as you know if you had an

in-house operation you'd have a lot more

control and be able to see you know the

reports back and and they will be able

to see some of that but it's just a

riskier Gamble and it's something that

Republicans in the states are a lot more

nervous about this cycle yeah I think we

should note that the you know people

might be wondering why this money is

going to Super Pacs instead of the

campaigns the advantage of super Pacs of

course is that they can raise unlimited

amounts of money whereas the campaigns

are subject to contribution limit so you

have to rely on millions of Voters to

fund your campaign but you can have

somebody like Timothy melon or Miriam

Adon come in and drop tens of millions

of dollars in a super pack and basically

fund the entire thing and so that's why

these super Pacs help Trump close the

gap it's with much fewer people being

involved but It ultimately uh is a very

substantial amount of money the other

thing that I was really thinking about

as you were talking about you know the

Mind meld that exists between between

the super Pacs and the campaigns this

has really been a process for campaigns

over the years like they've figured out

ways to get around the rules as far as

not being able to coordinate between the

campaign and the super pack so I'm

remembering a number of years ago when

these campaigns started posting random

b-roll of their candidates on YouTube so

that the super Pacs could take that

footage and use it in their ads there

was a campaign organization that opened

up a Twitter account that basically

nobody followed and nobody knew about

that would post coded messages directing

their Allied groups about where to spend

money and how to spend money and so you

technically can't directly coordinate

but there are ways to get around this

and as you mentioned these uh super Pacs

can certainly take their cues from the

things that the campaigns are saying and

you know where they're spending their

money to get a sense for what's desired

by those campaigns and I think the

version of that that we're seeing this

cycle is that like the Trump Campaign

Will leak out like a memo you know of

what their strategy is you know let's

say in Georgia or in the different swing

States and then the Super PAC will put

out their memo about where they're

planning to spend their money in the

coming months or where they've placed

their ad buys and the other thing is

that the actual super packs themselves

like Maga Inc and preserve America are

coordinating very closely so in some

cases coordinating between themselves

like with each other between themselves

not with the campaign yeah exactly so

that like one of them is spending more

in you know Michigan Wisconsin

Pennsylvania the other one's spending

more in North Carolina Georgia

Pennsylvania so there's that sort of

division of labor that's happening

within the super PX that's really

interesting yeah it's kind of like you

guys take these states and we'll take

these states and and all it'll all work

out just fine we're going to take a

quick break there but when we come back

what all of this cash may or may not

mean in the final weeks before election

day we'll be right

[Music]

back so ma I'd like to talk now about

not just how much money these campaigns

have but where each party seems to be

spending money we've talked before on

this podcast about how the Trump

campaign strategy seemed to be focused

more on Pennsylvania North Carolina and

Georgia kind of the Eastern swing States

while uh Harris's campaign seem to focus

more on Pennsylvania Wisconsin and

Michigan so kind of the northern swing

States you know to be clear they are all

spending money across these swing States

it's not like a given campaign is you

know conceding a state but have things

shifted when it comes to what states

these campaigns are emphasizing and

targeting and how much do we believe

that they've really really honed in on

these specific paths to

Victory well I think that both sides are

arguing that they have multiple paths to

Victory and that the margin is so close

in all of these seven swing states that

they can't even do what Democrats have

done in the past you know just relying

on the blue wall like they believe that

the margins are being like Pennsylvania

Wisconsin and Michigan is how Biden

campaign kind of pitched that yes so

they are basically arguing that you know

they have to make a push in all of these

states they can't just rely on One path

or another you know and I think that

that the Trump campaign also sees it as

being that close we still are seeing the

most money according to ad impact on ads

being spent in Pennsylvania and Michigan

and then Georgia but a lot of money also

being spent in North Carolina then

further down the list Arizona Wisconsin

and Nevada but you also see the

candidates you can kind of you know

watch the patterns by where the

candidates are going kamla Harris has

been to Nevada now she was there uh the

week before last she's going to be there

again this week it's certainly not a

state that they are ignoring even though

it kind of usually tends to be

prioritized less so you really do see

this kind of allout Sprint in all of

these states I I was really struck in

the the ad impact numbers that you

mentioned about the lack of an

investment in Nevada especially on

Trump's side like it was I think two to

one was the advantage for the Harris

campaign as far as spending in Nevada I

think there's less investment in it

because it is the smallest electoral

vote prize of the swing States it's only

six electoral votes but that can wind up

mattering in a in a very close race

which looks to be what we have at this

point absolutely may I also want to talk

to you a little bit about money outside

of the presidential race specifically in

the house in the Senate these are of

course very close races The House

Republicans have a very slim majority in

the house senate Democrats have a very

slim majority of their own both are in

danger it could kind of go either way

just like the the presidential race can

is there a sense in those races that the

Republican party is also struggling for

funds at this point or is it a little

bit of a different

story you know I think that this has

been a particularly in the house races

uh this has been a concern for

Republicans all year one of the big

concerns when Kevin McCarthy was ousted

as Speaker of the House was that he had

been just a total fundraising Juggernaut

he really took care of his house

candidates and raised tons of money for

them and when Mike Johnson who was a

much less known Congressman took over as

house Speaker he just didn't have that

same fundraising profile and he was

still putting his operation together and

so there was this real imbalance in some

of the house races and that has

continued throughout uh this year but

you know on the Senate side it's just

been so interesting because Republicans

have really concentrated their money you

know in a couple of key States like Ohio

and Pennsylvania Montana there also is

just this concern that there's a trickle

down effect with Trump you know raising

less money than Democrats and maybe

doing less to help um some of the

candidates who really need it in those

down ballot races past presidential

Republican candidates have been more

generous than Trump has in helping with

down ballot races and so I think that is

continuing to be a concern for the GOP

as things move forward and Republicans

really starting to get some some Jitters

about that yeah and of course KLA

Harris's campaign has sent I think it

was $25 million to Congressional

Democrats campaigns we haven't seen a

similar investment from Trump I'm also

recalling back in the 2020 cycle after

Trump lost in the general election and

we still had these Georgia special

elections that were going to be

determining control of the Senate and

Trump was a lot more focused on his own

election contest than trying to help

Republicans win the Senate necessarily

which I think was part of the reason

after January 6th that some Republicans

were content to try and distance

themselves from this guy because they

felt like he wasn't really being a team

player uh we don't need to get into his

brand right yeah exactly we don't need

to get into all of that today but um Ma

I also wanted to talk to you about the

actual impact of this money I I think

that after the 2016 election Donald

Trump was pretty well outspent and of

course he won and there was a lot of

talk about like well does campaign money

actually really matter in politics

anymore you know we're so polarized as a

country and you can get your message out

in so many other ways that are pretty

cheap you know social media things like

that it's been interesting to me that

Democrats have been spending more than

Republicans in this election cycle for a

while now we reported last October when

Joe Biden was still in the race that he

was planning to spend tens of millions

of dollars to boost his poll numbers and

of course that didn't really seem to

work very well what's your take on like

how much this all matters and could make

a difference in the end well I think

that's what what we're all watching for

I mean it's it is so striking the

numbers that we've been talking about

and the fact that they you know really

haven't moved haris in any significant

way ahead of trump that the race is

still basically a tie even though she

has this enormous spending advantage and

I think that that does reflect as you

said how where we are as a country how

polarized the electorate is how baked in

the electorate is I mean I think it'll

probably knock our socks off when we see

like how much was spent per vote um at

the end of this cycle but you know she

has been able also as we mentioned to

spend so much more on digital ads

desktop and mobile almost a three to one

advantage as my uh colleagues found in

in their spending story you know so

we'll see if those messages get to that

that tiny sliver of Voters that they're

trying to persuade but it is really

striking that there's so much money

being spent for so few people you know

changing their minds yeah the the way I

look at it is

always of course it matters to some

degree maybe it doesn't matter as much

as it used to like it's not going to

shift the race by Five Points because

that's just not the country that we live

in right now basically nothing is

Shifting this race by five points but

when you do have a race that's this

close and you have enough money to get a

little bit of an advantage in turning

people out or you have this money that

is going to introduce your candidate

like if you're blanketing the airwaves

defining kamla Harris that's an

advantage right now if you're doing that

a lot more than the ads that the Trump

campaign and its Allied super packs are

running and so that's kind of why I

think this ultimately could matter even

if it doesn't show up as kind of a

landslide victory that is commensurate

with the financial advantage that they

have yeah it'll be really interesting to

watch I did want to close with a

question that's been on my mind as we're

talking about this money and you know

we've been mentioning the ground

operation and advertising and kind of

all the direct things that this money

can lead to but I think the flip side of

that is what the money

signifies what does it say that one of

these candidates is getting a lot more

people to contribute money to her

campaign does that say something about

enthusiasm in this race that Trump is

being so far out raised and that his

donors really aren't stepping up for him

in a way that harrises are you know I

think we'll get a better sense of that

when we get the next round of campaign

Finance reports on October 15th October

15 um yeah so because a lot of Trump's

small dollar donations go through a

organization called win red so we'll be

able to look at at a comparison of his

small dollar donors when we get to that

juncture by looking at those win red

reports compared to his past campaigns

whereas you know we have been able to

see in more granular detail Harris's

small dollar donations because act blue

which is wi Red's counterpart we we do

have that data and so we're able to look

in a more granular way at this point but

I think it is a real question about that

drop off Trump has always had such a

huge small dollar base and there's a

theory out there among some Republicans

that I talk to that people are just have

been giving to him for so long that

they're just kind of exhausted by it you

know he was still raising just gobs of

money after the 2020 election you know

supposedly to help him with all of his

um election fights for example and then

on the flip side I do think that some of

the excitement for kamla Harris is just

kind of unique to her just that organic

enthusiasm within the Democratic party

feeling like they were locked in for so

long with Democratic candidates that

they just weren't that excited about and

she's someone who is new and fresh and

so she's able to tap into a different

audience but we will be looking at that

very question in more detail when we get

that next round of reports I'll be

marking my calendar for October 15th

just like I used to all those years ago

when I would pour through those FBC

reports every quarter um which is just a

terrible thing you know midnight on

Deadline I yeah I don't like the

midnight deadline I feel like noon would

be a better deadline for all of us yeah

definitely May thanks so much for

joining us and and talking through all

these things it's been really

interesting thank you so much for having

me I really appreciate

it Ma Ron is a national political

reporter covering the 2024 campaign in

the politics of the West for the

Washington Post we are so close to

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postrecurrence

we'll be back in your feed Friday with

our regularly scheduled round table I'm

Aaron Blake see you later this week

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