Trump’s Financial Focus Ahead of Midterm Elections

As the midterm elections approach, President Trump holds a significant political advantage with his $400 million campaign fund, revealed in new Federal Election Commission filings. Fellow Republicans are keenly observing how he intends to deploy these resources.

This week, Securing American Greatness, a nonprofit closely connected to Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc., launched its first nationwide ad. Surprisingly, the ad’s primary focus is on Trump himself rather than local congressional candidates. Despite this, Trump has assured that campaign support for Republican candidates will commence soon.

‘I’ve raised a lot, and nobody knows what it is, but I will tell you it’s about $850 million,’ Trump stated on August 21 before departing for South Carolina aboard Air Force One. ‘I’ll be spending a lot of that money for—and my own money—but I’ll be spending a lot of that money for candidates that I think are good, Republican candidates.’

Trump and his team are drawing from recent political history, underscoring his ability to mobilize his base by encouraging them to act as if he were on the ballot. At a rally for Senator Darline Graham in South Carolina on August 21, he emphasized, ‘Pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot. Come and vote. It’s so important.’

Despite the overarching focus on Trump, MAGA Inc.’s financial contributions to other candidates have been limited. The most notable contribution was $827,000 to Graham’s campaign. In 2026, MAGA Inc. has allocated only approximately $18,000 to midterm races. Last year, the super PAC spent about $1.7 million, raising $401 million by the end of the second quarter.

Next week, the emphasis on Trump persists in Dallas where the GOP will convene for a major midterm convention featuring numerous speeches and a balloon drop. This event aims to highlight the party’s emerging leaders. However, CBS News reports that several Republican candidates in competitive races are not attending the convention.

Florida Republican Representative Maria Salazar, speaking to reporters outside the Capitol, explained her decision: ‘I have to be campaigning. No one votes for me in Washington or in Dallas. I have to be in Miami.’

Vice President JD Vance, addressing concerns, remarked on Thursday, ‘Most importantly, you’ve got to go out there and meet voters and message to voters.’