The Biden campaign on Tuesday said it raised more than $42 million in January and that it has $130 million on hand, a record for any Democratic candidate at this point in an election cycle.
President Biden’s team said the piles of cash show unusual strength for the incumbent even as he grapples with questions about his age, approval ratings and polls that show him struggling against his likely GOP opponent, former President Donald Trump.
The numbers reflected a haul from Mr. Biden’s main campaign committee, two joint fundraising committees and the Democratic National Committee.
Since Mr. Biden launched his reelection bid, 97% of donations have been under $200, the campaign said.
“January’s fundraising haul — driven by a powerhouse grassroots fundraising program that continues to grow month by month — is an indisputable show of strength to start the election year,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said.
The haul appears to give Mr. Biden a big cash advantage over Mr. Trump.
The Republican National Committee had more than $8 million in cash on hand and Mr. Trump’s campaign had about $33 million at the start of the year, so campaign watchers are waiting to see their January totals.
Mr. Trump’s remaining primary foe, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, said she was able to raise $16 million in January to support her long-shot bid against Mr. Trump, who is coasting toward the party nomination.
Asked Tuesday if he’d rather face Mr. Trump or Ms. Haley, Mr. Biden said, “Oh, I don’t care.”
Mr. Biden this week is tapping California’s deep-pocketed Democratic donors to keep his campaign flush with cash ahead of an expected rematch against Mr. Trump.
Mr. Biden will attend fundraisers in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Los Altos Hills, where several wealthy Internet executives have mansions.
The president is building his war chest as he tries to convince voters he is up for the challenge of a second term.
At 81, he is the oldest sitting president, and polls suggest voters are questioning his cognitive abilities compared with Mr. Trump, who is 77.
The Biden campaign insisted its money advantage is a sign of strength, characterizing Republicans as a party in disarray as it tries to confirm its nominee and buoy Mr. Trump in the face of multiple legal woes.
“While Team Biden-Harris continues to build on its fundraising machine, Republicans are divided — either spending money fighting Donald Trump, or spending money in support of Donald Trump’s extreme and losing agenda,” Ms. Rodriguez said. “Either way, judging from their weak fundraising, they’re already paying the political price.”
• Jeff Mordock contributed to this story.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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