Trump tells advisers he will keep raising money to hold his clout after midterm losses

President Donald Trump has told advisers he plans to keep raising money for his political operation, according to a Political Wire summary of a report from Axios published Friday ¹. The goal, the item says, is "salvaging his clout after the GOP's midterm debacle" ¹.

The money could go to his existing super PAC, MAGA Inc., or to a new group that has not yet been created ¹. A super PAC is an outside political group that can raise unlimited sums from donors and spend them on elections. It is not run by a candidate's campaign.

According to the Political Wire summary, Axios reports that such an organization would let Trump try to "influence elections in 2028 and beyond" ¹. That includes the next presidential race ¹.

How much money, and where it sits

In February, Trump said on social media that he had raised money "in various forms and political entities, in excess of 1.5 Billion Dollars" since Election Day 2024 ². The Associated Press reported then that staffers and others close to him would not say how much remains ².

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The total is hard to check. Much of the money moves through groups that do not have to file regular financial disclosures ². MAGA Inc. itself raised more than $100 million in the last six months of 2025 and began 2026 with more than $300 million, the AP reported ².

The AP also reported that the Republican National Committee, the party's national organization, raised $172 million in 2025 ².

What critics have said about this kind of fund

Campaign finance watchdogs have raised alarms about how Trump's political money works. Daniel Weiner of the Brennan Center, a nonpartisan law and policy institute, told the AP that such a fund "essentially can be operated as a slush fund at the disposal of whoever controls it" ².

Saurav Ghosh of the Campaign Legal Center said, "What we're seeing with Trump's administration is just an unprecedented level of pay-to-play" ². Those are critics' characterizations, not findings by a court or regulator.

The AP also noted that big donors have included Greg Brockman, the OpenAI co-founder, and his wife Anna, who gave $25 million to MAGA Inc. last year ².

What happens next

The Political Wire summary says the money could go to either his existing MAGA Inc. super PAC or one to be created ¹. We could not load the original Axios report, so details beyond the Political Wire summary are unconfirmed.

That matters because Trump has a record of using his money as leverage. The AP reported that he has vowed political consequences for Republicans who oppose his tariff policies, and that Rep. Thomas Massie is chief among his targets ². The AP also noted a mixed record: after Trump pledged in 2022 to help defeat Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Trump-affiliated PAC gave $1.5 million to a group opposing her, and she was reelected ².

The Record

1. Feb 13, 2026Trump claimed more than $1.5 billion in political funds raised since Election Day 2024; the total could not be verified ².
2. Nov 6, 2026Trump told advisers he plans to keep fundraising, via MAGA Inc. or a new group, to influence 2028 and beyond ¹.

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<h2>Trump tells advisers he will keep raising money to hold his clout after midterm losses</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files White House Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/trump-tells-advisers-he-will-keep-raising-money-to-hold-his-clout-after-midterm">The GOP Files</a> on Friday, November 6, 2026.</em></p> <p>President Donald Trump has told advisers he plans to keep raising money for his political operation, according to a Political Wire summary of a report from Axios published Friday . The goal, the item says, is &quot;salvaging his clout after the GOP&#39;s midterm debacle&quot; .</p> <p>The money could go to his existing super PAC, MAGA Inc., or to a new group that has not yet been created . A super PAC is an outside political group that can raise unlimited sums from donors and spend them on elections. It is not run by a candidate&#39;s campaign.</p> <p>According to the Political Wire summary, Axios reports that such an organization would let Trump try to &quot;influence elections in 2028 and beyond&quot; . That includes the next presidential race .</p> <h2>How much money, and where it sits</h2> <p>In February, Trump said on social media that he had raised money &quot;in various forms and political entities, in excess of 1.5 Billion Dollars&quot; since Election Day 2024 . The Associated Press reported then that staffers and others close to him would not say how much remains .</p> <p>The total is hard to check. Much of the money moves through groups that do not have to file regular financial disclosures . MAGA Inc. itself raised more than $100 million in the last six months of 2025 and began 2026 with more than $300 million, the AP reported .</p> <p>The AP also reported that the Republican National Committee, the party&#39;s national organization, raised $172 million in 2025 .</p> <h2>What critics have said about this kind of fund</h2> <p>Campaign finance watchdogs have raised alarms about how Trump&#39;s political money works. Daniel Weiner of the Brennan Center, a nonpartisan law and policy institute, told the AP that such a fund &quot;essentially can be operated as a slush fund at the disposal of whoever controls it&quot; .</p> <p>Saurav Ghosh of the Campaign Legal Center said, &quot;What we&#39;re seeing with Trump&#39;s administration is just an unprecedented level of pay-to-play&quot; . Those are critics&#39; characterizations, not findings by a court or regulator.</p> <p>The AP also noted that big donors have included Greg Brockman, the OpenAI co-founder, and his wife Anna, who gave $25 million to MAGA Inc. last year .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>The Political Wire summary says the money could go to either his existing MAGA Inc. super PAC or one to be created . We could not load the original Axios report, so details beyond the Political Wire summary are unconfirmed.</p> <p>That matters because Trump has a record of using his money as leverage. The AP reported that he has vowed political consequences for Republicans who oppose his tariff policies, and that Rep. Thomas Massie is chief among his targets . The AP also noted a mixed record: after Trump pledged in 2022 to help defeat Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Trump-affiliated PAC gave $1.5 million to a group opposing her, and she was reelected .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/trump-tells-advisers-he-will-keep-raising-money-to-hold-his-clout-after-midterm">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/trump-tells-advisers-he-will-keep-raising-money-to-hold-his-clout-after-midterm.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Political Wire, “Trump to Keep Fundraising” (2026-11-06). politicalwire.com/2026/11/06/trump-to-keep-fundraising/
2. PBS NewsHour (AP), “Trump boasts of over $1.5B in political funds. How he chooses to spend it could shape the midterms” (2026-02-13). pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-boasts-of-over-1-5b-in-polit

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