Though his campaign seems to be getting even more bizarre than usual lately, Republican nominee Donald Trump raised $80 million throughout the month of July, according to The New York Times. That means he can compete financially with Hillary Clinton.
The $80 million in July stands in stark contrast with his June numbers of $51 million. For his July total, almost $65 million of the total funds were raised through contributions of $10-$25 by everyday people around the country. If this reminds you of the Bernie Sanders campaign, you’re not alone. Sanders often said the average donation to his campaign was $27, and now Trump seems to be heading in the same direction with his fundraising. The Times reports that this kind of grassroots funding is noteworthy because it’s rare for national political campaigns to be backed by small donations.
Despite this large increase, Trump still hasn’t overtaken Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Clinton raised about $90 million in the month of July, and the Democratic National Committee is said to have about $102 million in spending money for the Clinton-Kaine campaign.
Trump has largely funded his own campaign as well, but his late May numbers alarmed Republicans who feared being outspent by Clinton. But if we look back to the 2012 election, spending more doesn’t necessarily lead to a win—According to CNBC, former governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney outspent President Barack Obama by a margin of $100 million to $75 million and still lost.
Though the donation numbers are good news for Trump, practically everything else points to a campaign in complete and utter distress. According to CNN, many officials within the campaign are dismayed at the candidate’s outlandish and offensive behavior. Some of the bigger Trump controversies lately include his reaction to the Khans, a Muslim couple whose son was killed in the Iraq war in 2004. They criticized Trump at the Democratic National Convention, hurting Trump’s feelings and setting off a debate about sacrifice.
In addition to that, Trump signaled that the GOP may as well be in an all-out war when he refused to back Speaker of the House Paul Ryan in the upcoming election. More and more, campaign officials are becoming frustrated with the nominee as he continues to go against election norms.
While the donation numbers are certainly exciting, true unity will need to exist for the Trump campaign to win. And as of right now, that’s looking pretty improbable.