Joe Biden beats Donald Trump again with record $140m fundraising haul for second consecutive month

Former Vice President Joe Biden has bested President Donald Trump once again in fundraising for a second consecutive month after pulling in a record $140 million in June, his campaign confirmed in a statement on Wednesday.

The presumptive Democratic nominee has enjoyed staggering fundraising levels after signing a joint agreement with the Democratic National Committee in late April. Mr Trump has had a similar agreement with the Republican National Committee throughout the entirety of the 2020 campaign season.

After signing the joint fundraising agreement in late April, Mr Biden’s campaign and the DNC raised $60.5 million compared to Mr Trump and the RNC pulling in $61.7 million that month.

Mr Biden broke ahead in May, raising $80.8 million with the help of the DNC while Mr Trump and the GOP drew $74 million in donations.

Both campaigns reported major increases in their fundraising hauls in June, though Mr Biden was still on top with a reported $141 million — $10 million more than Mr Trump.

Mr Biden’s campaign said 68 percent of the former vice president’s donors were new, and a total of 2.6 million people were added to its list.

The Trump campaign released its June fundraising levels ahead of the Biden campaign’s announcement, while seemingly believing it had bested the Democrats.

“After yet another haul of record-breaking support, the voters are speaking loud and clear ― they support President Trump,” Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the RNC, said in a statement. “As Joe Biden remains hidden in his basement, President Trump is leading this country to a Great American Comeback that will reignite our economy, restore law and order, and usher in a new era of strength.”

The Biden campaign released its own statement shortly after, with campaign manager Jennifer O’Malley Dillon saying: “There’s real, grassroots energy for Joe.”

Mr Biden has built his fundraising momentum in the midst of a global pandemic, as criticism mounts over the Trump administration’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak and cases continue to rise in many parts of the country.

The Trump campaign was previously expecting to have an edge on the Biden campaign in large part thanks to a predicted advantage in fundraising, according to reports.

But the Biden campaign has appeared to steadily raise more money than that of the Republican incumbent just ahead of the Democratic National Convention, where he’s set to accept the party’s nomination and announce his vice president.