The threat of an indictment against former President Donald Trump is lending the embattled 2024 candidate a jolt of momentum, filling his campaign coffers and showing signs of boosting him against his strongest rivals.
Trump’s campaign has begun raising money off the frenzy of a possible indictment from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, with a campaign source confirming a surge in donations.
‘ANGRY’ TRUMP FOCUSED ON TAKING DOWN DESANTIS AS EXPECTED INDICTMENT LOOMS
The looming indictment promises Trump a chance to consolidate support around his reelection bid while attempting to box out potential competitors still on the sidelines.
In a new Morning Consult poll, Trump is leading Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) 54% to 26%, a 28 percentage point advantage.
Conducted in the days following speculation of Trump’s “imminent” indictment, the survey shows the former president more than doubling his lead since January.
Trump’s entry into a legal danger zone has yielded fruitful outcomes before.
Trump saw a bounce in the polls last year as he came under investigation by the Justice Department over his handling of classified documents.
Before federal authorities descended on the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate last year, he was raising about $200,000 a day. But as Trump’s fundraising operation kicked into gear, the former president’s hauls surged to more than $1 million.
“It will have the same effect,” a former Trump adviser said of the indictment. “He was slipping in the polls; yes, they were still with him, but they weren’t that enthusiastic.”
This person added, “As soon as [the FBI] raided Mar-a-Lago, they were back in Team Trump.”
Supporters viewed the case as an overreach by federal prosecutors, even as the Justice Department opened a special counsel investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents.
In New York, prosecutors are eyeing an alleged $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final stretch of the 2016 presidential campaign, with charges rumored to encompass a campaign finance violation. Trump has denied wrongdoing in the case and contests the claim he had an affair with Daniels.
As the Republican front-runner, Trump’s effort to consolidate support among GOP voters could put him on a path to the nomination. But the former president faces an uphill battle with voters who have veered away from what they consider the chaos of his presidency.
“Let’s say there’s more riots. Let’s say that there’s more violence. Let’s say that there’s more chaos — regular Republicans are not going to be attracted to that,” a source said.
This person recalled a time when Republicans who didn’t like Trump would simply hold their nose and vote the ticket anyway. “Those days are over,” this person added.
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After warning that he could be arrested this week, Trump rallied his supporters to “take our nation back.”
Perhaps sensing the risk, some prominent allies stepped in to calm the waters after Trump’s call to take the country back, warning of an imminent arrest.
