Media falls for Biden’s reelection fundraising spin.
President Biden’s Reelection Fundraising Numbers: A Master Class in Media Spin
President Joe Biden’s team put on a master class in media spin over the weekend with the release of its first reelection campaign fundraising numbers.
After anonymously teasing its ”strong” figures earlier in the week, the Biden campaign on Friday released only the totals it raised in combination with the Democratic National Committee—along with a lot of hype. The resulting headlines read like Biden campaign press releases.
Media Headlines:
- NPR: ”President Biden Posts ‘Blockbuster’ Three-Month Fundraising Total: $72 Million”
- CNN: “Biden Raised $72 Million in His First Quarter of Fundraising Since Announcing Reelection Bid”
- USA Today: “Biden Raises $72 Million Since Announcing Reelection, Doubling Trump Over Same Stretch”
- MSNBC: ”Biden Surrogate Messina Touts Fundraising Haul: ‘Biden Outraised All The Republicans Combined’”
- New York Times: “Biden and D.N.C. Announce $72 Million in Fund-Raising, a Substantial Haul”
- Axios: “Biden Campaign Raises $72M in Second Quarter”
The numbers seemed impressive, but when the full fundraising figures were disclosed, the reality was quite different.
Revealing the Truth:
According to a New York Times analysis:
-
- Biden individually raised less money than DeSantis.
- Biden had less cash on hand than Trump or even GOP Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.).
- Biden barely spent $1 million—less than Democratic challenger Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or some senators.
It became clear that Biden’s performance was not as strong as initially portrayed. The media had been fretting about his slow start for months, and the full fundraising figures confirmed their concerns.
However, some outlets softened the blow by focusing on the money challenges faced by Republican candidates.
Media Analysis:
- CNN: ”Alarm Bells For DeSantis, Pence Falls Behind And Biden Stays Frugal: Takeaways From New Campaign Finance Reports”
- NBC News: “Fundraising Reports Have Warnings for DeSantis, But He’s Still the Top Trump Challenger”
- ABC News: “Pence Struggles, Trump is Ahead of DeSantis and More Presidential Fundraising Highlights”
While some outlets continued to spin the numbers in Biden’s favor.
Continued Spin:
Joe Biden is redefining presidential campaign frugality https://t.co/XDfdj1EcNk
Despite the initial hype, the truth about Biden’s fundraising performance was revealed. It remains to be seen how this will impact his reelection campaign and the enthusiasm of his supporters.
Biden raised more than Trump and DeSantis combined pic.twitter.com/qiny7gBbdf
so Biden got more than 2X fundraising that Trump did. Sad !
New: Joe Biden just announced his campaign has raised $72 million since he announced his re-election effort in April.
97% of donations were small-dollar grassroots donations.
For comparison, Trump raised $35 million and DeSantis raised $20 million. pic.twitter.com/jyoaQWKhrx
Despite the spin, the truth remains that Biden’s fundraising numbers were not as impressive as initially portrayed.
WATCH: President Biden’s campaign says it and the DNC raised $77 million in the second quarter.@mikememoli: ‘There is a lot to like for Democrats who have a lot of other numbers they’re worried about, especially 80, which is the president’s age.” pic.twitter.com/Ycbw13wgHF
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) July 15, 2023
Liberal Twitter seized on the news.
Biden raised more than Trump and DeSantis combined pic.twitter.com/qiny7gBbdf
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 17, 2023
so Biden got more than 2X fundraising that Trump did. Sad !
— Jennifer Now at Threads Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) July 14, 2023
New: Joe Biden just announced his campaign has raised $72 million since he announced his re-election effort in April.
97% of donations were small-dollar grassroots donations.
For comparison, Trump raised $35 million and DeSantis raised $20 million. pic.twitter.com/jyoaQWKhrx
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) July 14, 2023
Despite the spin, the truth remains that Biden’s fundraising numbers were not as impressive as initially portrayed.
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