The former president’s campaign launch did come at an odd time for fundraising — namely, the week after a national general election, when donor engagement crescendos and then falls to a whisper before picking up again as the next election nears. But Trump had bucked those trends somewhat in the past, raising substantial funds in the aftermath of the 2020 election, for example, as he falsely claimed there was election fraud.
The fundraising data points in the same direction as recent polling and a swell of criticism from fellow Republicans who didn’t dare cross Trump in the past: The former president’s standing within his own party has been damaged as he faces legal troubles and the consequences of a difficult midterm for his endorsed candidates — and, more broadly, for his party.
But the millions he is socking away for a lengthy campaign also illustrate that he remains…
