President Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he'll spend "whatever it takes" of his own money if necessary to win in November, stressing that it's "the most important election in the history of our country."
Why it matters: The comments come after reports that Trump's campaign is having real money concerns — an unusual position for an incumbent that has worried GOP operatives. The campaign has yet to release its August fundraising, but Joe Biden and the Democrats say they raised a record-breaking $364.5 million last month.
- Some of the notable expenses for the Trump campaign include $11 million on Super Bowl advertising, roughly $4 million to Trump businesses since 2019 and approximately $156,000 on planes for aerial banners, according the New York Times.
- "We have much more money than we had last time going into the last two months, I think double or triple" Trump claimed. "But if we needed any more, I'd put it up personally."
Trump tweeted later Wednesday that China and COVID-19 are to blame for his shortfalls.
- "Because of the China Virus, my Campaign, which has raised a lot of money, was forced to spend in order to counter the Fake News reporting about the way we handled it (China Ban, etc.). We did, and are doing, a GREAT job, and have a lot of money left over, much more than 2016," he tweeted.
- "Like I did in the 2016 Primaries, if more money is needed, which I doubt it will be, I will put it up!"