As the general election approaches and Democrats prepare for what might be a major wave of victories in the face of huge opposition to Trump, new reporting has revealed that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) raised a staggeringly huge sum of money for Democrats in the second quarter of 2020. She raised a total of more than $39 million in the second quarter, which included $29.3 million directly for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Although Democrats already have control of the House, there are still plenty of seats to defend in the chamber.
On Friday, POLITICO Playbook reported:
‘[Pelosi] will announce today she raised more than $39 million for Democrats last quarter, including $29.3 million directly for the DCCC. Pelosi, who has dominated the fundraising game for years, has raised $162.9 million for the 2020 cycle and $891 million since entering Democratic leadership in 2002.’
She’s not the only one among prominent Democrats who’s had some major fundraising success in the second quarter of 2020. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden actually outraised Trump in the second quarter of 2020 (and in the month of June in particular). Across the second quarter as a whole, Biden and the Democratic National Committee raised more than $282 million, with $141 million of that coming in June. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee raised $266 million across the same quarter and $131 million in June.
The lead in fundraising for Biden and the Democrats underscores the widespread nationwide enthusiasm about the possibility of getting Trump out of office. Currently, Biden leads Trump in national polls by an average of 8.3 percent, according to RealClearPolitics, and throughout the lead-up to the election so far, Biden’s polling lead has been remarkably stable. His average national lead has been over 7 percent since June 2 — so for almost two months at this point.
As the general election approaches, there have been still more Democratic fundraising successes. Democratic candidates in key Senate races across the country, including races in Maine, North Carolina, Colorado, Montana, and Arizona, all raised more than their incumbent Republican opponents in the second quarter of 2020. Seats which are currently held by the GOP in every single one of those five states are currently rated as toss-ups by the Cook Political Report. Democrats would need a net gain of four Senate seats to reach a 51-seat majority in the 100-seat chamber.
"We've made four proposals. The Democrats have made precisely zero," says Kayleigh McEnany says.
House Democrats passed their own legislation in May.
— Chris Megerian (@ChrisMegerian) July 31, 2020
As for the policy concerns that are weighing on the political situation in the meantime, negotiations in D.C. are continuing over the next round of Coronavirus-connected economic relief. At a Friday press conference, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed that Democrats have not produced a plan, but that’s a lie — the Democrat-led House passed a new relief package over two months ago.
After a Thursday meeting including White House officials and Pelosi, she said, referring to the House’s relief legislation (the HEROES Act):
‘They never have understood the gravity of it. Since the HEROES Act passed, about 70,000 people have died. Hundreds of thousands more have been infected. And they wanted to pause, and now they come back with piecemeal. So it just says, because of their delay, they don’t understand, as [Chuck Schumer] said, the gravity of the situation. And the suggestions that they’re making are only proof that they don’t understand.’
Americans are dying while the Trump team struggles to understand reality.
