Ron DeSantis raises $8.2m for his campaign within 24 hours of launch fiasco

Within 24 hours of the Florida governor announcing his bid for president in 2024, Ron DeSantis’ campaign staff claimed they had raised $8.2 million.

According to the New York Times, the campaign received $8.2 million, which was first revealed by a contributor making calls while in the room. Bryan Griffin, a spokeswoman for Mr. DeSantis, later confirmed the amount.

The sum exceeds the $6.3 million that Joe Biden, the current president, raised in his first day of campaigning in 2019. Additionally, it exceeds Beto O’Rourke, a former congressman, who raised $6.1 million in the same year.

The $4 million that Donald Trump’s team claimed to have raised in the 24 hours following his felony arrest earlier this year is approximately quadruple that amount.

According to the Business Insider, the donor gathering got underway on Wednesday as attendees started “dialing for dollars” and received free swag including baseball caps, pens, and stress relievers. According to the source, Mr. DeSantis’ supporters had congregated at the Four Seasons in Miami’s Brickell business sector to raise money for the 2024 campaign.

According to Mr. Griffin, the campaign is soliciting money for both the primary and general elections. Per donor, the campaign can raise $3,300 for the general election and the primary.

If Mr. DeSantis were to win the nomination, he did not define how the funds were designated for use alone in the general election.

Furthermore, it is unclear how many contributors gave in the first 24 hours.

During an online discussion with Twitter CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday, Mr. DeSantis officially announced the start of his candidacy.

However, the audio feed frequently broke, which made it challenging for the majority of users to hear the announcement in real time.

Mr. Griffin claimed on Thursday that the campaign raised $1 million in the first hour following Wednesday’s announcement.

He said in a tweet that there was “so much excitement for Governor DeSantis’s vision for our Great American Comeback that he literally busted up the internet.”

“Washington is next. $1 million raised online in one hour… and counting!”

There was so much enthusiasm for Governor DeSantis' vision for our Great American Comeback that he literally busted up the internet. Washington is next.

$1 million raised online in one hour… and counting!

— Bryan Griffin (@BryanDGriffin) May 24, 2023

According to a NYT story, Mr. DeSantis raised $8.2 million compared to Mr. Trump’s $9.5 million in the six weeks following the announcement of his campaign in mid-November.