WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden 's reelection campaign and the Democratic National Committee announced Tuesday that they'd raised $264 million in the year's second quarter, an impressive haul that may help them calm fears within their own party about last week's shaky debate performance.
The total includes $127 million collected during June alone, when the campaign says it took in more than $33 million on the day of the debate and in its aftermath. Biden also has $240 million in cash on hand, outpacing the $212 million it reported having last month.
Hours later, the campaign of former President Donald Trump, who is set to accept the Republican presidential nomination at the party’s convention this month in Milwaukee, announced an even more robust $331 million for the second quarter.
That outpaced Biden in the three-month period, though Biden’s campaign noted that the $127 million it took in for June edged the Republican’s $111.8 million haul for the month.
Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez called her side's totals “a testament to the committed and growing base of supporters standing firmly behind the president.”
The announced totals come as Biden's campaign continues to scramble to quell panic among some Democrats, who have questioned whether the president can win November's election after a debate where he appeared raspy, trailed off and at times gave convoluted answers. Some of the campaign's top leaders have held multiple calls since the debate, preaching patience to donors and top surrogates.
Campaign officials nonetheless insist there's been no discussion “whatsoever” of Biden exiting the race nor of any staff shakeups.
Biden enjoyed a large fundraising advantage over Trump in the early stages of the race, but the former president has narrowed the gap more recently.
In April, which is included in Tuesday's full second quarter totals, Biden and the DNC reported raising more than $51 million. That was well short of the $76 million that Trump and the Republican Party reported taking in for that month.
Trump also reported raising $141 million in May, padded by tens of millions of dollars in contributions that flowed in after Trump’s guilty verdict in his criminal hush money trial.
Biden's most recent quarterly total was enhanced by a glitzy June fundraiser in Los Angeles that he held with superstars George Clooney and Julia Roberts and former President Barack Obama. That event took in more than $30 million, a record for a Democratic candidate.
The president's campaign said nearly half of the donations that came after the debate were from first-time donors. It said 95% of all second-quarter donations were under $200, and more than 1.5 million total donors made over 2.8 million contributions.
The campaign said it now has a donor base of 314,000, or nearly 100,000 more than at the end of 2024's first quarter in March.
The Biden campaign has used its funds to help open 200-plus campaign offices in battleground states that work with state Democratic parties and have more than 1,000 staffers. Biden's team said that coming out of the debate last weekend, the campaign staged 1,500 events across the battlegrounds.
“Grassroots donors across the country are chipping in every day because they know that this election will determine the course of history,” DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said.
President Joe Biden speaks in the Cross Hall of the White House Monday, July 1, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Luka Doncic and Slovenia still have Olympic hopes. And so does the Philippines, much to its own surprise.
Doncic had 36 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and Slovenia beat New Zealand 104-78 on Thursday to clinch a semifinal spot in the Olympic qualifying tournament at Piraeus, Greece. Slovenia needed to win by at least 10 points to make the semifinals.
Slovenia's opponent on Saturday is Greece, meaning it'll be Doncic and fellow NBA All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo leading their squads — with the winner advancing to Sunday's final with a berth in the Paris Olympics at stake, and the loser eliminated.
Josh Nebo had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Slovenia. Shea Ili led New Zealand with 28 points.
The matchups for Saturday's semifinals are taking shape.
At Valencia, Spain — Poland-Finland winner vs. Spain; Bahamas vs. Lebanon.
At Piraeus, Greece — Slovenia vs. Greece; Croatia vs. Dominican Republic.
At Riga, Latvia — Brazil vs. Philippines; Cameroon vs. Latvia.
At San Juan, Puerto Rico — Lithuania vs. Italy or Puerto Rico; Italy or Puerto Rico vs. Ivory Coast or Mexico.
The finals at all four sites are Sunday, and those four winners go to the Paris Olympics.
The Philippines lost but advanced to Saturday's semifinals of their tournament in Riga, Latvia, anyway. That created a bit of an issue; the team had flights home scheduled for Friday.
“I guess we’re going to have to move them back a little bit,” Philippines coach Tim Cone said. “That’s how surprised we are to be here and talking to you guys. It’s the first time I’ve felt good about losing.”
Georgia needed to win by at least 19 points to have any chance of advancing.
Sandro Mamukelashvili led Georgia with 26 points and Goga Bitadze finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Justin Brownlee led all scorers with 28 points for the Philippines, adding eight rebounds and eight assists as well.
At Piraeus, Antetokounmpo got the day off and Greece rolled into the semifinals anyway.
Konstantinos Mitoglou and Georgios Papagiannis each had 16 points for Greece, which got 15 from Kostas Popanikolaou.
Ahmed Metwaly scored 22 for Egypt, which was eliminated.
At Riga, Cameroon won and advanced, Brazil lost and won its group anyway, and Montenegro really lost without even playing.
Jeremiah Hill led Cameroon with 22 points. Cameroon needed to win to advance to Saturday's semifinals in Latvia; had it lost, Montenegro would have reached the semifinals.
Leo Meindl topped Brazil with 19 points. All Brazil had to do to win the group was win the game or lose by no more than six points; had Brazil lost by 15 or more, it would have been eliminated and Montenegro would have advanced.
Omari Spellman scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Lebanon moved into the semifinals of the qualifier at Valencia, Spain.
Karim Zeinoun added 15 for the winners, including a personal 7-0 run early in the fourth quarter when he turned a game that was tied at 49 into one in which Lebanon led 56-49 — and it wouldn't trail again.
Gerson Goncalves scored 13 and Bruno Fernando added 12 for Angola, which was eliminated.
AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
A woman walks past copies of one of the most famous Greek statues, the Venus of Milo, installed on the steps of the French National Assembly, Wednesday, July 3, 2024 in Paris. The statues by artist Laurent Perbos, have regained her arms and are now equipped with the attributes of six sporting disciplines. Just three weeks before the Olympics, the excitement that was building up in the host city has mingled with anxiety about France’s political future. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
The logo of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games hangs from the facade of the Paris city hall, Wednesday, July 3, 2024 in Paris. Just three weeks before the Olympics, the excitement that was building up in the host city has mingled with anxiety about France’s political future. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Luka Doncic, Slovenia head to Olympic qualifying semifinals. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece await
Luka Doncic, Slovenia head to Olympic qualifying semifinals. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece await
