‘Facing uncertainty and recession’: Biden and DNC fundraising jumps to $80M in May

That May total haul dwarfs the ever-increasing amounts Biden raked in as the once-large fields of candidates dwindled. The former vice president raised $46.7 million in March. In April, when his last remaining serious rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, dropped out of the race, Biden raised $60.5 million.

“I’m humbled and honored that you have put your trust in me as your presumptive Democratic nominee. And I’m incredibly honored by the support I’ve received from you all,” Biden said in the email. “I understand what these dollars mean. When facing uncertainty and recession, you chose to back me. I will never forget that. And I promise that when I’m president, I won’t let you down. Together we’ll bring real change. As I’ve said many times, this is the United States of America. And there’s never been a single thing we haven’t been able to do ⁠— when we’ve done it together.”

The campaign touted that more than half of the donors last month were new donors, and “in the last few weeks,” they have seen more than 1.5 new supporters “join our base.” Additionally, Biden’s said that they have “more than tripled” their number of online donors since February.

May was a turbulent month for the country as states began to reopen from their shutdowns meant to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Both President Trump and Biden have stayed off the campaign trail, instead opting to reach out to voters in interviews and online. Toward the end of the month, the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody inspired nationwide protests and, in some cases, violent riots.

The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee have not yet disclosed their fundraising numbers for the month of May. The president, RNC, and their affiliates attracted $63 million in March and $61.7 million in April, with $255 million in the bank.