President Joe Biden’s campaign has announced that it raised $264 million from April to June, despite a post-debate backlash that prompted calls for him to step aside as the Democratic Party’s 2024 nominee. Notably, Biden raised a record $127 million in June, the best fundraising month of the election cycle and his best grassroots fundraising month to date. With Vice President Kamala Harris, the campaign now has $240 million in cash on hand. In contrast, former President Donald Trump’s campaign has not disclosed its second-quarter fundraising figures, but had $116.6 million in the bank at the end of May.
The Biden campaign is using this fundraising success to downplay the calls for his replacement, arguing that he and Harris have a strong grassroots foundation. A fundraising email from Deputy Campaign Manager Rob Flaherty claimed that the “bedwetting brigade” seeking Biden’s resignation is actually playing into Trump’s hands, as it would lead to internal chaos and a less competitive general election candidate. Flaherty also highlighted Biden’s strength in fundraising, citing the significant contributions from grassroots donors and new donors.
According to the campaign, more than half of the second-quarter fundraising came from grassroots donors, with 38 million raised in the four days following the debate. The campaign reported that Friday was the second-best grassroots fundraising day, with nearly half of donations coming from first-time donors. Additionally, the campaign noted that it has 1.3 times more recurring donations than at the same point in the 2020 cycle, with 95 percent of all donations under $200.
Meanwhile, some Democrats have openly discussed replacing Biden as the nominee, including Representatives Jamie Raskin and Mike Quigley. Quigley, on Tuesday, suggested that Biden “has to be honest with himself” about whether he should remain the party’s standard-bearer, citing the potential repercussions down the ballot in November.
