Trump Campaign Sees Significant Fundraising Bump After Indictment

Former President Donald Trump saw a significant spike in fundraising following his recent indictment by a Manhattan grand jury. The Trump campaign said it raised a combined $18.8 million during the first quarter of 2023, which includes $15.4 million raised in the two weeks after charges were filed in relation to his alleged role in paying hush money to former adult film star Stormy Daniels, CNN reports.

The campaign had previously claimed it raised $4 million within the 24-hour span in which the indictment was initially announced.

Earlier this month, a ABC News/Ipsos poll reported 45% of respondents believed Trump should have been charged with a crime in relation to his alleged role in paying hush money to Daniels, including 88% of Democrat respondents, while 32% disagreed and 23% said they don't know. Additionally, 47% believed the charges were politically motivated, including 79% of Republican respondents, while 32% said no and 20% said they didn't know.

Republicans were, however, less united on whether Trump should have been charged, with 62% saying he shouldn't have been charged, 16% said he should have been and 22% saying they "don't know."

Trump is accused of paying $130,000 in hush money to Daniels during the latter portion of his successful presidential campaign in 2016. Daniels claimed that she had a sexual encounter with the married Trump in 2006, which the former president had denied and recently pleaded not guilty to 34 felony criminal charges of falsifying business records.

Trump is now the first former U.S. president to ever be indicted on criminal charges. Trump announced his intention to re-run for president in the upcoming 2024 election in November 2022, two years after he was defeated by Joe Biden during his re-election campaign in 2020.