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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks Sunday during the Palm Beach County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Wilfredo Lee, AP)
Donald Trump, the billionaire businessman, remains the biggest financial investor in Donald Trump, the front-running candidate for the GOP presidential nomination.
The real-estate magnate lent his presidential campaign another $6.85 million last month, bringing the total Trump-to-Trump loan amount to $24.38 million. Those investments have helped him prepare for the March primary battles and build a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>larger campaign staff than his remaining rivals in the GOP contest.
Trump’s payroll included 100 people at the end of February,<span style="color: Red;">*</span><span style="color: Red;">*</span>exceeding the 88 individuals listed as employed by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, according to a USA TODAY review of Federal Election Commission reports filed late Sunday.
Although he insists he’s not actively soliciting donations for the primary battle, actual contributors gave Trump more than $2 million last month. More than three-quarters of that money arrived in amounts of $200 or less, his filings show.
Trump’s total February receipts<span style="color: Red;">*</span>— a combination of the loans, donations from other people and the roughly $32,000 Trump gave directly<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to his campaign for services such as staff and rent —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>came to a little more than $9.2 million. That’s less than the nearly $12 million his rival Cruz raised last month.
But it’s really hard to compare Trump’s financial picture with that of his rivals.
USA TODAY
Ted Cruz trounces John Kasich in fundraising
For starters, the celebrity billionaire's near-dominance of all political news means he has to pay for very little television advertising. He spent just $3.5 million on “media” last month, his filings show. Cruz’s advertising bill hit nearly $9 million during the same period.
Plus, when the campaign bank account starts to run dry, Trump can write another check.
Contributing: Christopher Schnaars
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