Thune begging Trump for campaign cash as clock ticks down on election

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has been pressing President Donald Trump to help Republican candidates with more money as the midterms close in, according to Politico, which reports that cash is tight, the battleground is widening, and time is running short.

"Resources" were a dominant topic in Thune's recent conversations with Trump during a White House visit, and in his frequent talks with Trump's political team, the South Dakota Republican told Politico. In an interview Monday during a Midwest campaign swing, Thune said he "just conveyed to him the importance of ensuring that our candidates are well-resourced."

Trump, meanwhile, is focused on turning out his own voters at a series of preelection rallies. Thune pointed to Minnesota as one state where the president "could deploy his war chest," which Politico has put at more than $400 million.

CNBC recently reported that Trump's super PAC, MAGA Inc., disclosed $415.8 million in a new FEC filing in September.

Texas, where Republicans are trying to drag Senate nominee Ken Paxton over the finish line, is another matter. The Texas Tribune reported that Republican general-election spending in the race topped $140 million as of late September, including a $100 million commitment from the Senate Leadership Fund. Asked whether that spending forces tough choices elsewhere, Thune said "dedicated donors" focused on Texas have meant GOP groups haven't yet had to pull money from other key states, Politico reported. Raw Story has reported on Senate Republicans being forced to spend hundreds of millions to defend deep-red seats.

Thune declined to put odds on the GOP keeping the Senate and told Politico, "I think we can keep the majority."

"I think all of these races are margin of error, at least the ones that we have to win," he added. "And historically, at least if you look at polls, we tend to outperform them."

Politico noted that Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who is attempting to keep a low profile in October and focusing on private fundraising, agrees the question is whether Republicans have enough money to "counter surging Democratic campaigns," even as each leader insists his side will prevail.