According to The Center of Responsive Politics, Donald Trump has over $22 Million cash on hand. So far, in the general election cycle, he hasn’t spent any money on TV ads or anything else to broaden his message to the general election public.

He received, in kind, according to various sources, over $2 Billion in free advertising during the primary season.  He continues to call into various news shows, mainly on Fox, to get his message across.  He is only ‘preaching to the choir’ by going on various Fox shows.  There is nothing wrong with that, but everyone knows that he can’t win the general election by reinforcing his views with his followers.  He has to go out and get people who either don’t know him, or win over people who haven’t supported him in the past.

He hasn’t had any media buys for the future that I am aware of, so why is he hoarding his cash? Three possibilities come to mind:

1. Put the money into “Turn out the vote” efforts.  It has been reported in various publications that he is depending on the RNC and their state organizations for the ‘ground game’.  He doesn’t have any significant presence in the states at this time.
2. Use the money to pay for the rallies that he is holding around the country (including in states he doesn’t have a chance of winning) to get free daily news coverage. He seems to be doing this now.
3. Pay his kids significant sums to act as his advisors.
4. Make significant media buys at the end of the campaign (at higher rates that it would cost him now) to invoke a ‘scorched earth’ campaign against Clinton, and leave nothing in the bank at the end.

I think options 3 and 4 are the most likely.  Option 3 would allow him to funnel the money back to his family.  And if he is holding out for option 4 this is going to get really ugly!

 

WSJ Christie Article

Spent the weekend at Tanglewood watching my nephew, Will, play at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute.