Dem
47
GOP
53
Donald Trump has two tools for enforcing his will on members of Congress: endorsements and money. Endorsements are free and there is a potentially unlimited supply of them. Money is finite. Trump is famously tightfisted with money and some Republican donors are now worrying that Trump will not use all of the $300 million he has socked away for the midterms. For people who donated large sums to win the midterms, having Trump save a substantial chunk of the money to help his favorite in the 2028 Republican primary is not part of the program.
MAGA Inc. spokesman Alex Pfeiffer described the rumors as "whining from anonymous detractors." In other words, if someone donated tens of millions of dollars to hold the Senate and Trump decides to use the money in the 2028 primary, the donor is expected to just shut up and fall in line. The frustration from donors is that Trump is misreading the political landscape and does not realize how energized Democrats are and how blasé Republicans are. The donors see this and want Trump to start spending big on key House and Senate races right now, which he is not doing. Worse yet, many of them suspect he won't spend more than 10% of his hoard this year at all.
RNC spokeswoman Kiersten Pels said: "donors are energized and all-in." Of course, if they see that Trump is just hoarding the money either for some future campaign, the presidential library, or to somehow keep for himself, the flood of donations is going to become a trickle.
Trump's firm hold on the money isn't the only reason donors are edgy. One of them said: "For so many other reasons that people have their hair on fire right now—ending the war in Iran is so much more important for numbers than what to do with this money. Their [the candidates'] concern is first and foremost not, 'Am I going to get $2 million in my race?' but 'Is gas $6?'" However, a more optimistic donor noted that it is only May. If June comes and goes with no plan, then it becomes a real problem. A former Trump adviser was less optimistic that Trump will spend the money on key races this year. He said: "My strong inclination is no—he's not going to. He's Trump. He's going to build a skyscraper in Miami and call it his library. I hope I'm wrong."
Trump's super PAC isn't the only source of money, though. The RNC has $117 million in the bank and it is highly disciplined and will spend the money where it has the most impact. In contrast, the DNC has about $15 million in the bank and $17 million in debt. Many DNC members are distraught about DNC Chairman Ken Martin, whose primary job is raising money for Democrats. So far, he has failed miserably and many members want to replace him. However, replacing the chairman in the middle of an election year is fraught with problems, so Martin is probably safe until after the midterms.
In comparison to spending money, Trump has used his other superpower—endorsements—furiously. He has picked favorites in more primaries than any president in history. Many of his picks have been behind the scenes. Sometimes, rather than endorsing a candidate, he offers his favorite's main opponent a "favor" to drop out. For example, wealthy businessman Nate Morris filed to run for the open Senate seat in Kentucky, but Trump preferred the fire-breathing Trumpist Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY). So Trump offered an ambassadorship to Morris if he would drop out and he did. In another example, Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) wanted to run for the open Senate seat in Michigan, but Trump "talked" him out of it so Trump's favorite, Mike Rogers, would not have a primary. Whether Trump did more than merely "talk" to Huizenga is not public. Trump might have used a carrot, a stick, both, or something else. Most of this stuff happens quietly and generally doesn't come out except when something visible happens, like a candidate who has already filed dropping out. (V)