U.S. President Donald Trump directed more than $277 million toward a large-scale advertising campaign — through television and direct mail — in the final six weeks before the midterm elections. The funds are intended to help Republican candidates who have found themselves in a difficult position in several races that are key to maintaining the party’s control of the U.S. Congress, UNN reports, citing Reuters.
Trump’s “super political action committee” (super PAC), MAGA Inc., which has already spent more than $300 million on the midterm elections, directed the largest sums — either directly or through other similar organizations — toward Senate races in Texas, Michigan and Ohio. According to Federal Election Commission data, Republicans in these states are engaged in close contests but, according to most polls, are trailing their Democratic opponents.
Trump increases spending ahead of the midterm elections - media20.10.26, 21:20
On the Truth Social network, Trump said he plans to spend between $400 million and $500 million by Election Day, which is less than two weeks away. Official reports show that $225 million of this amount was directed through two other “super PACs” — No Going Back and Safety & Affordability. Such organizations can raise and spend unlimited funds on election campaigns with minimal restrictions.
Overall, these committees spent more than $36 million supporting Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton, $30.1 million helping Mike Rogers in Michigan, and more than $28 million supporting Jon Husted in Ohio. These three seats are crucial if Republicans are to retain control of the Senate, where they currently hold a 53–47 majority.
To gain control of the 100-seat U.S. Senate, Democrats need to win at least four additional seats in the November midterm elections. Their chances have improved as extremely high fuel prices, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, and the situation surrounding Iran have caused Trump’s approval rating to fall to an all-time low.
According to the latest data from election forecast expert Nate Silver, the probability that Democrats will gain control of the Senate — with a 53–47 majority — exceeds 77%, while their chances of gaining control of the House of Representatives — with a 240–195 majority — exceed 94%.
Elon Musk also joined the funding effort, directing money to Texas — the state that has become his new home and where he has moved the headquarters of his companies Tesla and SpaceX in recent years. MAGA Inc. waited until the final few weeks to increase its advertising, raising concerns among Republican leaders.
Republican megadonors came out in support of Trump last month. Hotel and casino magnate Stephen Wynn donated $8 million, while Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman and businesswoman Diane Hendricks each donated $5 million in September alone. Australian crypto billionaire Bijan Tehrani and Russian-born businessman Konstantin Sokolov each donated $1 million last month, documents show.
Hendricks has so far donated $30 million to MAGA Inc. this year, while Tehrani and Sokolov have each donated $2 million, according to the documents. As of last week, the super PAC still had $164 million in cash. It raised approximately $450 million during this election cycle.