Almost $1.5 million has been spent against Donald Trump in the past seven days, more than six times as much as every other candidate combined.
More than $1 million of that recent spending comes from Our Principles PAC, an independent super PAC whose sole mission is to bring down Trump. Priorities USA Action, affiliated with Hillary Clinton, spent $25,000 against Trump. Trusted Leadership PAC, affiliated with Ted Cruz, also spent $25,000. Club for Growth Action, an independent super PAC, spent a lesser amount against Trump.
John Kasich was the only other candidate to be attacked by super PACs from April 25 to May 1, though only $226,038 was spent against him. That all came from Cruz’s Trusted Leadership PAC.
Since Jan. 31, the day before the Iowa Caucuses, nearly $37 million has been spent against Trump. Only $27 million has been spent against all other candidates combined.
For most of the campaign, Cruz was attacked by super PACs more often than Kasich, but Kasich recently passed Cruz. Both have still been attacked less than Marco Rubio was, even though Rubio has been out of the race for well over a month.
For Democrats, super PAC action has mostly been quiet, with Clinton’s Priorities USA Action preferring to save their millions for the general election. Bernie Sanders has no major super PAC.
Although super PACs have increased their attack spending over recent weeks, it hasn’t translated into many new negative commercials. Only two new negative commercials were released between April 25 and May 1. One Cruz campaign ad attacked both Clinton and Trump. The other was an anti-Cruz ad from the Kasich campaign.
In negative commercials, Trump has been attacked more than every other candidate combined, but only by one.
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
