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Impeachment inquiry: Trump campaign, Democrats raise millions after impeachment announcement

Within three hours of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s announcement of Democrats’ plans to begin an impeachment inquiry, the “Impeachment Defense Task Force” took in $1 million for President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign.

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Within 24 hours, that number had grown to $5 million. By Friday, the amount had topped $13 million, according to organizers.

So far, it seems, impeachment has been good for the campaign coffers of both the GOP and Democrats.

Brad Parscale, Trump's campaign manager, tweeted on Wednesday that the money the Trump campaign had received since Tuesday's announcement came from all 50 states and were small dollar donations.

“In the 24 hours since news of Nancy Pelosi’s impeachment announcement, @realDonaldTrump’s campaign & @GOP have BLOWN OUT fundraising!” Parscale wrote on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon.

Joining Parscale on Twitter to thank Democrats for the fundraising help were two of Trump’s children, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.

"A BIG thank you to @SpeakerPelosi and the Democrats - in the last 48 hours we have raised $8.5 million dollars in small dollar donations," Eric Trump tweeted. "People are sick of your nonsense but please keep it up — you are handing @realDonaldTrump the win in 2020!"

However, It's not only the Republicans who are seeing increases in donations. The New York Times reported that Act Blue, the company that collects online Democratic donations, took in $4.6 million in contributions on Tuesday, alone.

In addition to direct monetary donations, groups on both sides are leveraging impeachment talk through fashion. Democrats and Republicans have gotten into the T-shirt market to raise funds.

On the Democratic side, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Michigan, tweeted out a photo of a T-shirt that included a vulgarity concerning Trump and impeachment that she shouted out in a speech on election night in 2018. The shirts are for sale on her website.

The Nevada GOP is offering a T-shirt that includes the words "Impeach This" under a map of the United States highlighting the 2016 election results map.

Presidential campaign fundraising for the third quarter of 2019 ends Monday. On Oct. 15, campaigns must report to the Federal Election Commission donations they have received in the past three months.

According to Open Secrets, a website that tracks campaign finances, Trump has a commanding fundraising lead among possible 2020 presidential candidates with $124,847,044 in candidate committee money and $80,064,469 in outside money.
Top potential presidential candidates line up this way:

  • Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, has raised $46,153,240 in candidate committee money and $1,460 in outside money.
  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, has raised $35,527,781 in candidate committee money and zero dollars in outside money.
  • Former Vice President Joe Biden has raised $21,473,223 in candidate committee and zero dollars in outside money.