Trump's re-election campaign raised more than $30mn

US President Donald Trump's re-election campaign has raised more than $30 million in the first fundraising quarter of 2019, a top official has confirmed

Trump's re-election effort now has a substantial $40.8 million remaining in the bank, Tim Murtaugh, the campaign's director of communications, told CNN on Sunday.

While Trump builds a massive war chest, 18 Democrats -- with more considering bids -- are competing for their party's nomination.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders leads Democratic fundraising with $18.2 million raised during a shorter window than Trump, 41 days. In the second fundraising slot is California Senator Kamala Harris with $12 million.

Sanders, making his second bid for the presidency, has the biggest war chest of the Democratic field, ending March with $28 million remaining in the bank.

The 10 Democrats who have announced first-quarter fundraising numbers so far have collected a combined $79.6 million -- already surpassing the $65.6 million the entire Democratic presidential field had collected during the early months of the 2016 election cycle.

Even more Democratic totals will come on Monday when candidates file reports with the Federal Election Commission.

Another sign of Democratic donor enthusiasm: South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who exceeded expectations with a $7 million first-quarter haul for his exploratory committee, raised $1 million within hours of formally launching his presidential campaign on Sunday, his spokeswoman Lis Smith announced on Twitter

Trump, who built his unorthodox 2016 campaign on online, small-dollar donors, never stopped running for office. He filed his paperwork for re-election on the day he took the oath of office in January 2017, CNN reported.

He continues to tap grassroots donors for support. His campaign said that nearly 99 per cent of donations were $200 or less, with an average contribution of $34.26.

Trump's first-quarter haul exceeds the $21 million his campaign and affiliated committees brought in during the last three months of 2018. But it does not set records for a presidential fundraising quarter.

Former President Barack Obama, who did not begin collecting money in earnest for his re-election until April 2011, raised nearly $47 million during the first three months of actively campaigning for a second term.

--IANS

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