Donald Trump’s decision to hang onto his MAGA money before the midterm election ended up handcuffing Republicans, who were forced to pay 11 times more for ads than Democrats did, according to a new report.
The Daily Mail reported that Trump "kept a tight grip" on the roughly $400 million he had raised since the 2024 election, which he called “my money,” and resisted releasing it for the midterm fight. Senate strategists "were still pleading with him" to sign off on spending as late as August.
The delay came at a steep price. Democrats had already booked airtime months in advance at much lower rates. When Trump’s super PAC finally jumped in, it had to pay top dollar for whatever slots were left.
In one case, the Trump super PAC spent $30,000 on an evening news ad, the same kind of spot Democrats had reserved earlier for just $2,700.
Alaska shows how lopsided it got. According to one expert, Trump’s super PAC spent four times as much as the leading Democratic super PACs there yet ended up with 70% fewer ads on the air.
One strategist told the Daily Mail they were “shocked at how ill-prepared they were.”
The late spending did little to slow the Democratic wave. Republicans lost control of both the House and Senate on Tuesday, including in races where Trump’s money arrived too late to make a difference.
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