How the Trump Campaign Lit a Billion Dollars on Fire

The Trump campaign raised more cash than just about any campaign in history—and it’s still broke, pulling TV ads in big states and slowing down key data operations.

On the latest episode of The New Abnormal, Rick Wilson breaks down for Molly Jong-Fast—and the rest of us—how Team Trump managed to burn a billion bucks. First off, the Trump spent something like $400 million to raise that billion, an absolute ungodly sum, straight into the fundraisers’ pockets. So you’re down to $600 million. 

Then you take the Trumps’ skim off the top, call it 20 percent, and you’re at $480 million. Throw in some bonehead moves, like $11 million on Superbowl ads and another million on D.C. market ad buys. Layer in $20 million per month in staff costs and—well, it ain’t the first enterprise Trump has run into the ground.

But that doesn’t mean you should count Team Trump out of the election.

“There's nothing they won't do to hold power,” Rick says. “If Donald Trump was told tomorrow, 'You have to go personally kill Ruth Bader Ginsburg,' he would do it. If Donald Trump's told tomorrow that you have to feed Melania to dogs, he would do it. This guy has to hold power or he is in the deepest possible hole.” 

Then! Molly talks about taking part in a COVID vaccine trial—to show the skeptics on the left that it’s safe. Former Obama national security aide Ben Rhodes also talks about how world leaders have “already moved on” from America. And progressive congressional candidate Jamaal Bowman dishes on the advice he got from AOC: “Jamal, don't be shocked when you get here. It's like an upside down world.” 

Plus! Fascist Huckleberry Hound! ‘Sexy’ Ben Shapiro! Gourmet food stores filled with antifa! Teen trolls! And the Trump campaign kid who’s monitoring this pod for his slice of that billion-dollar pie.

Listen to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.