Though formal filings aren't yet due, both of the 2024 campaigns of former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis released their fundraising totals for the third fiscal quarter this week, and the difference in those numbers are striking.
According to the Trump campaign, the former president raised more than $45 million toward his bid to return to the White House during the third quarter that concluded at the end of September, The Hill reported.
In comparison, the DeSantis campaign revealed that it had raised around $15 million during the same three-month period of July, August, and September.
In a Wednesday press release, the Trump campaign announced that it had raised more than $45 million in the third quarter and, furthermore, had more than $37.5 million in cash on hand, of which nearly $36 million was designated to be spent during the ongoing primary process.
That fundraising total was deemed to be an "impressive testament to the overwhelming grassroots support" enjoyed by the former president.
It was further noted that the third quarter haul was more than $10 million more than the roughly $35 million had been raised in the second quarter, which in turn was reportedly more than double the amount that was brought in during the first quarter of the year.
"The Q3 numbers are even more impressive considering the Summer months are usually when most campaigns experience lagging fundraising support," the release added. "President Trump and his campaign have completely shattered that notion."
Meanwhile, CNN reported on the same day that Gov. DeSantis' campaign announced that it had raised approximately $15 million in the third quarter, which was down from the $20 million that was reported in the second quarter of the year.
The campaign also revealed that it had a total of $13.5 million in cash on hand, though only about a $5 million of that was eligible to be spent during the primary.
That discrepancy in the cash on hand figures is likely due to some of the governor's donors having already exceeded the political contribution limits imposed by the federal government that regulate how much an individual donor can contribute toward primary elections and the general election, per The Hill.
James Uthmeier, the campaign manager for DeSantis, said in a statement to CNN, "This significant fundraising haul not only provides us with the resources we need in the fight for Iowa and beyond, but it also shuts down the doubters who counted out Ron DeSantis for far too long."
To be sure, former President Trump appears to have gained substantial momentum and financial support in his bid for the Republican nomination, despite -- or likely because of -- the mounting legal woes he faces of multiple criminal indictments and civil lawsuits.
As for Gov. DeSantis, he has also defied the prognosticators who had declared his candidacy all but dead and buried and proved that, while still definitely the underdog in the ongoing primary battle, he was far from being completely out of the fight.
The way the race stands now, according to the RealClearPolitics average of primary polls, Trump draws 57.9% support from GOP voters compared to 12.5% for DeSantis, a lead of around 45.4 points, while the entirety of the rest of the Republican field is mired in single digits in terms of voter support.
