Republicans have felt uneasy for months that President Donald Trump would keep the party’s single largest war chest closed during the midterms and cost them control of Congress. Now that money is flowing.
Since the beginning of this month, MAGA Inc. and other super PACs linked to the president have invested more than $130 million into races across the country, according to records of reserved advertising. That rush has eased conservative anxiety in tight races and put on full display what many view as one of their biggest strengths heading into November: cash.
“For the party, it’s a relief,” said Jason Shepherd, a longtime GOP strategist in Georgia.
The flood began Sept. 5 when the president’s super PAC, MAGA Inc., reported spending $10 million in Texas to support Republican Ken Paxton, the state attorney general locked in a competitive Senate race. On Saturday, Trump’s super PAC reported spending another $5 million on the race.
The money for advertising arrives with less than 50 days until the midterm elections, and Republicans at risk of losing their narrow majorities in both chambers. For months, Democrats have had a head start on reaching voters, blanketing the airwaves to introduce their candidates and attack GOP opponents. Democratic candidates have consistently outraised their opponents, and polls have Democrats in position to retake the House and potentially the Senate.
Still, the rush of funding for the GOP could prove powerful enough to undo some of that progress, through advertisements, campaign mailers, and door-knocking, Shepherd said.
MAGA Inc. ended August with $415 million available, according to campaign finance filings the group made Sunday. The super PAC brought in millions in donations last month, including around $2 million from NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and $10 million from the brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, cryptocurrency billionaires who are among the Republican Party’s most prolific individual donors.
This month, Trump signaled he may spend triple the amount that’s already been unloaded to help Republicans. His war chest totals $1 billion.
“I’m going to spend whatever amount of money necessary to try and help us,” Trump said on Sept. 4. “I expect to have money left over, and we can use that for ’28.”
Trump’s power over the party’s spending helps explain why many candidates have been reluctant to draw too much distance from the president, even as he suffers from near-record-low approval that is dragging down the party’s midterm prospects. In addition to his financial clout, Trump still holds sway over large numbers of core Republican voters.
Elon Musk, a billionaire who some also worry would not back Republicans after a public falling out with the president, has also ramped up spending.
Musk’s group, America PAC, reported its first major spending in the midterms in early September, all to boost Republican candidates, including in Senate races in Ohio, Texas and Michigan and House races in Maine, Virginia and Arizona. In 2024, America PAC spent more than $260 million to back Trump and other GOP candidates.
Even as MAGA Inc. starts its splurge and Trump has talked about financially backing his party in the midterms, his group itself has stayed silent. A MAGA Inc. spokesperson declined to comment on the super PAC’s plans. Representatives listed in Federal Election Commission filings for the other groups with links to the president’s super PAC did not respond to requests for comment.
Much of the money that appears to be coming from Trump’s PAC is being spent by two other newly formed groups: No Going Back PAC Inc. and Safety & Affordability PAC Inc. The groups, which account for a combined $126 million of the more than $130 million associated with Trump, share a treasurer and address with MAGA Inc.
Because they were only registered this month, the groups do not yet have to disclose donors. Their ties to MAGA Inc. were previously reported by the New York Times.
They have spent exponentially more than MAGA Inc. on dozens of House races and the key Senate races in Michigan, Ohio and Georgia, according to the tracking company AdImpact. No Going Back PAC has spent nearly $99 million, and Safety & Affordability has spent $27 million, as of Sunday.
Representatives listed in their FEC filings did not respond to requests for comment.
Even with the significant sums coming in, Democrats are bullish on their chances in November. They point to recent polls favoring the party and the ad buys they reserved months ago, before the influx of GOP cash.
CJ Warnke, a spokesperson for the House Majority PAC, which supports Democratic candidates, noted that much of the money from MAGA Inc. and other groups is going toward districts where Trump won by large margins.
That list of investments, he said, is a signal that Republicans are on “a much heavier defense, deeper into Trump territory than they’ve been letting on.”
Republicans have lauded Trump for the financial assistance, hopeful that it will create a more favorable general election environment.
“The president has made clear that he’s going to spend big, and Republicans will be doing whatever it takes to ensure we don’t lose our country,” RNC spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre said.
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