Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, who is self-financing his campaign, raised more unsolicited donations in the third-quarter than many of his rivals, and showed a frugality in his expenses — with staff dining at McDonalds and doing overnights at the Comfort Inn.
Mr. Trump received 73,942 unsolicited donations with an average contribution of $50.46. Overall, his campaign raised $3.9 million, more than Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul’s intake of $2.5 million and close to that of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who both pulled in slightly more than $4 million.
But Mr. Trump spent $5.6 million between July 1 and Sept. 30, a higher figure than some of his peers, but considerably less than his nearest rival, neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Mr. Trump made a contribution of $100,779 during the quarter and personally spent $1,909,576 since launching his campaign.
In contrast, Mr. Kasich spent $1.7 million in the quarter, businesswoman Carly Fiorina spent $2.2 million, and Mr. Christie said he spent $2.8 million — all lower than Mr. Trump’s expenditures.
Mr. Trump financed all of his own events — large rallies that cost him thousands of dollars in set up and security, his FEC filing shows. He also recorded a $723,426 cost for Tag Air, a private jet and charter. Ironically, a man known to dominate the media, paid $30,000 to Drake Ventures for communications consulting and shelled out $243 to Constant Contact for email marketing.
Mr. Trump’s campaign also showed a liking for McDonalds — spending roughly $320 at the fast food joint from Iowa to New Hampshire to Virginia. They also frequented Wendy’s and Dairy Queen. Staff overnights were at the Comfort Inn and Courtyard by Marriott.
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In contrast, Mr. Carson burned through $14 million in the quarter, spending money on lavish dinners at Johnny’s Half Shell, an upscale Washington D.C. seafood restaurant, and stays at the swanky Waldorf Hotel in New York. Mr. Carson drew in the largest fundraising haul in the quarter, with $20 million in donations.
“It is my great honor to be participating in this Presidential race, which has the possibility of having a truly great and positive impact on America,” Mr. Trump said in a statement releasing his numbers. “While our original budget was substantially higher than the amount spent, good business practices and even better ideas and policy have made it unnecessary to have spent a larger sum. To be number one in every poll, both state and national, and to have spent the least amount of dollars of any serious candidate is a testament to what I can do for America. This is what our country’s leaders should do for the United States — spend money wisely and win!”
• Editor’s note: Political reporter Kelly Riddell’s husband, Frank Sadler, was the campaign manager for Republican presidential contender Carly Fiorina.
• Kelly Riddell can be reached at kriddell@washingtontimes.com.
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