President Trump's campaign faces money concerns — an unusual predicament for a sitting president, and one that worries veteran Republican operatives, with Trump behind in top swing states as the race climaxes.
- Why it matters: The campaign's view is that Trump will get his message out, and he depends less on paid media than normal politicians. But the number of states Trump has to worry about has grown, and Joe Biden's massive August fundraising haul has given his campaign a lift as early voting begins.
The New York Times leads today's paper with a Labor Day scene-setter (subscription), reporting that Trump "appears to be facing a significant financial crunch," and that light TV spending in some key states has "mystified allies":
- Trump "is expected to increase television spending next week, but several Republicans said that Bill Stepien, Mr. Trump’s campaign manager since July, was taking a cautious approach after the former leadership spent huge sums on television and digital ads earlier this year, to no discernible effect."
- Stepien told The Times "that a surgical approach to television ads was the right move for now, focusing on states where early and absentee voting are starting."
The context: Biden and DNC raised a stunning $365 million in August, breaking the record for one month of presidential fundraising.
- At the end of July, before the announcement of Sen. Kamala Harris swelled Biden's fundraising, Trump reported slightly more cash on hand.
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