Former President Donald Trump’s campaign raised $2.04 million at a fundraising dinner just hours after his indictment on 37 federal charges in Miami.
The “candlelight dinner” was attended by “top donors and campaign bundlers,” according to a report from Politico.
Trump spoke briefly at the event before being seated with donors at a table that included Sen. Tommy Tuberville.
“After his arraignment, Trump returned with his team of advisers and lawyers to his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., where he addressed a crowd of supporters, some of whom flew halfway across the country at a moment’s notice to give Trump a boost,” the Politico report states. “Donors for Trump’s fundraiser, who paid at least $1,000 to be there, were ushered inside the club after the remarks for the rest of the program. Earlier, Ric Grenell, Trump’s former acting director of National Intelligence, addressed the crowd indoors. Kimberly Guilfoyle, the fiancé of Donald Trump Jr., was also at the event and spoke to donors.”
Trump has pleaded “not guilty” to all 37 felony charges in the Department of Justice indictment.
Trump entered the plea through his attorneys and did not speak during Tuesday’s court appearance. He has been charged with 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information; one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice; one count of withholding a document or record; one count of corruptly concealing a document or record; one count of concealing a document in a federal investigation; one count of scheme to conceal; and one count of false statements and representations.
Trump is currently the Republican frontrunner for the 2024 nomination — and his lead has only grown stronger since the indictment was announced. A person is not prohibited from being elected if convicted, even in prison.
In an interview with Politico on Sunday, Trump said he would not drop out of the race — even if he is convicted.
“I’ll never leave,” Trump said. “Look, if I would have left, I would have left prior to the original race in 2016. That was a rough one. In theory that was not doable.”
This is the second time Trump has been indicted this year, but the first time being charged federally.
In April, the Manhattan district attorney charged Trump with falsifying business records, alleging that he hid hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Trump’s campaign said that they raised $15.4 million in a donation bump after the New York charges were announced, according to a report from the Associated Press.
