EXCLUSIVE — Donald Trump’s guilty verdict in New York has not only acted as a cash cow for his own campaign, but it has also trickled down to benefit down-ballot candidates who have politically aligned themselves with the former president.
Trump’s conviction has become “jet fuel” of sorts for GOP candidates, some strategists say, as a handful of Trump-aligned Republicans have received a surge in fundraising since the verdict was announced last week. Among those candidates is Tony Wied, who is running to replace former Rep. Mike Gallagher in Wisconsin and is backed by both Trump and his son Donald Trump Jr.
In fact, Wied is expected to rake in more than $150,000 during a Tuesday night fundraiser in Green Bay, according to figures first shared with the Washington Examiner — marking a huge haul for the Republican as he faces two other candidates to secure the GOP nomination for Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District.
“President Trump’s verdict has been jet fuel for fundraising,” one House GOP strategist aligned with Trump told the Washington Examiner. “Tony Wied having Don Jr., one of the strongest campaign surrogates in GOP politics is a huge get for him, especially as he continues to dominate his primary.”
The significant haul comes as Trump and other Republican groups have reported massive fundraising numbers for the month of May, which could help the former president close the gap with President Joe Biden as the November election nears.
Trump and the Republican National Committee raised $141 million in May, spurred in part by his criminal conviction in New York last week. That haul is roughly the same as what Biden and the Democratic Party raised in March and April combined.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said his fundraising platforms had also brought in record-high figures following Trump’s conviction, arguing it has sparked “backlash” among voters who view the verdict as politically motivated.
“This goes to the very core of who we are, that foundation of who we are as a nation,” Johnson said. “That’s why it’s bigger than just President Trump. It’s bigger than just these cases. It’s about our system itself. President Trump hit a fundraising record the day after, within 24 hours of the verdict. We did as well on our fundraising platforms. We raised record amounts of money because people understand what’s at stake.”
Biden, for his part, has sought to seize on Trump’s “disturbing” conviction as a weapon against the former president.
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“Folks, the campaign entered unchartered territory last week,” Biden told donors Monday in Greenwich, Connecticut. “For the first time in American history, a former president that is a convicted felon is now seeking the office of the presidency.”
The Biden campaign has not yet released its May fundraising numbers. However, based on Trump’s record-high figures, it’s possible the president has been outraised by his GOP challenger for the second month in a row. The Washington Examiner contacted a Biden campaign spokesperson for comment.