Trump Pledges to Deploy up to $500 Million in Party Spending Ahead of Midterms

President Trump said Friday that he intends to spend “probably” $400 million to $500 million on midterm election contests, while also indicating he will retain some resources as Republicans publicly urge him to stop hoarding his funds and provide them with financial backing.

“This is my money that I control,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that he believes Republicans can perform well in November and that he intends to help.

“I’m going to spend whatever amount of money is necessary,” he said.

As his party grapples with maintaining control of Congress, Trump has faced criticism from within his own ranks for being overly cautious with his finances.

Trump told reporters he estimates he has “about a billion dollars” available for political spending, a figure that may encompass Republican National Committee funds as well as money in his own campaign account. Federal Election Commission records show that MAGA Inc., his political action committee, holds roughly $403 million in cash.

This year, Trump has made only one disbursement to support a candidate, endorsing Senator Darline Graham of South Carolina through last month’s Republican primary—a race that most political analysts consider safe for Republicans.

However, Republicans in other states face far greater peril of losing to Democrats. The GOP risks losing the House and, to a lesser extent, the Senate, weighed down by Trump’s low approval ratings. While some candidates have sought to distance themselves from the former president, the majority still hope Trump will deliver financial support for their races.

“I’m going to be making contributions to various campaigns of people that I think are good, Republicans that I think are good,” he said.

Even so, Trump said he plans to set aside some of his funds for contests that are still two years away.

“I expect to have money left over, and we can use that for ’28,” he said.

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