President Joe Biden’s campaign is reportedly struggling to launch due to “sluggish” fundraising numbers that reveal a lack of enthusiasm among small and large donors for his reelection bid.
Biden’s campaign staffers are privately worried that his reelection announcement has not raised enough money to show strength in the face of poor polling for his 2024 candidacy, according to a report Friday.
Recent polling shows less than a quarter of Democrats feel excited about Biden’s 2024 campaign for reelection, and only 39 percent of Americans approve of Biden — down three points since March.
“[T]hose close to Biden are worried they won’t have a big number to announce after the president formally launched his bid Tuesday morning,” Bloomberg reported, noting “fundraising totals are a proxy for enthusiasm.”
The campaign had reportedly planned to release its fundraising total 48 hours after Tuesday’s reelection announcement but apparently put the disclosure on ice until the numbers appear larger. Political campaigns are required to announce fundraising totals as late as July.
The sluggish fundraising is allegedly due to a lack of coordination between the campaign and large Democrat donors. But according to Bloomberg, some donors were not asked for money on the first day.
While Biden’s campaign struggles to launch, former President Donald Trump’s campaign is off to a hot start. His fundraising soared $7 million just after news of his April indictment, according to Jason Miller, senior adviser to Trump. In the first quarter, Trump has already raised $18.8 million.
Compared to Biden, Trump is also doing very well in the polls. Recent polling shows Trump leads Biden by four points in a hypothetical general matchup for 2024. Trump also holds a massive 32-point lead over the 2024 Republican presidential primary field, Emerson polling found Thursday.
Watch: Finish WHAT Job? Biden’s 2024 Announcement Lists No Accomplishments, Attacks “MAGA Extremists”
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.