The USD 1 billion ask: Trump all-in on fundraising for 2020

President Donald Trump is well on his way to raising the USD1 billion his campaign believes it will take for him to win another term in the White House, building a fundraising machine that will prove difficult for Democrats to match.

Trump's bring-it-on fundraising approach which will be on display during a stop in Los Angeles on Friday is a far cry from his stance in 2015, when the billionaire reality TV star and developer launched his first bid for president promising to use his own money to finance his campaign. It's also an indication of how he has made his political apparatus more professional for Round 2.

For all presidents, incumbency has its advantages. Trump, who formalised his re-election effort the day after he took office, moved especially early to leverage his incumbency for 2020.

As Trump brings in millions, his would-be opponents are scrambling to raise enough money to earn themselves a spot on the primary debate stages. And the Democratic National Committee remains in debt from previous campaigns.

"Whoever the Democratic nominee is, they'll be depleted, and they'll have to start from zero well under zero, the DNC has a debt," said Michael Glassner, the Trump campaign's chief operating officer. He called Trump's decision to keep the campaign in operation during his first two years in office the "new model" for future presidents.

Through the end of 2018, the last date for which figures are publicly available, the Trump campaign had brought in more than USD129 million.

President Barack Obama, by comparison, didn't even begin his 2012 re-election campaign until 2011.

The Trump camp is scheduled to release its first quarter fundraising results later this month, so far only teasing that the campaign's cash on hand this period will be "far beyond" the more than $19 million in the bank it reported at the end of 2018. The RNC, for its part, is promising to report a first quarter record for a nonpresidential year.

Trump is travelling to Los Angeles on Friday to raise money for his campaign and the Republican National Committee. Dinner tickets run USD15,000 or USD50,000 for a photo with the president and USD150,000 to participate in a roundtable with the president. The RNC says 170 people are expected to attend.

Trump's fundraising is divided between two entities: Trump Victory, the joint account used for high-dollar gifts, and Trump Make America Great Again Committee, the low-dollar digital fundraising operation known internally as "T-Magic."
In 2015, Trump swore off outside funding, declaring in his opening speech: "I'm using my own money. I'm not using the lobbyists'. I'm not using donors'. I don't care. I'm really rich."
The campaign has benefited from continuous operation since 2015, said RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, giving fundraisers time to "integrate and fine-tune our operations."