Donald Trump's campaign raises 'record shattering' $34.8M funds after his hush money case conviction

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Donald Trump is making full use of his convictions in the first trial of a former or current president in America's history. After the 77-year-old was convicted on all 34 felony counts during his criminal trial in New York City, his campaign disclosed on Friday morning, May 31, that it had raised an astounding $34.8 million between 6 pm ET and midnight on Thursday.

The campaign emphasized in a statement that they raised "a record shattering small dollar fundraising haul" as they gear up to face President Joe Biden again in the 2024 election. They said the haul was "nearly double the biggest day ever recorded for the Trump campaign on the WinRed platform" and highlighted that the guilty verdicts "have awakened the MAGA movement like never before."

Trump campaign senior advisors Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles say they are 'overwhelmed with support'

"From just minutes after the sham trial verdict was announced, our digital fundraising system was overwhelmed with support, and despite temporary delays online because of the amount of traffic, President Trump raised $34.8 million dollars from small dollar donors," Trump campaign senior advisors Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles wrote in a statement, per Fox News.

They spotlighted that "not only was the amount historic, but 29.7% of yesterday's donor's were brand-new donors to the WinRed platform." LaCivita and Wiles restated, referring to the fall election, that "President Trump is fighting to save our nation and November 5th is the day Americans will deliver the real verdict."

Donald Trump's team put out fundraising appeal minutes after his hush money trial guilty verdict was announced

Trump's team sent out a fundraising appeal to supporters shortly after his guilty verdict was announced. "Friend: Is this the end of America?," Trump asked in the email. "I was just convicted in a RIGGED political Witch Hunt trial."

"My end-of-month fundraising deadline is just DAYS AWAY!" Trump emphasized in the email, which included a photo of the former president labeling him a "political prisoner."

Donald Trump's online fundraising platform crashed within an hour of the verdict

Within an hour of the verdict, WinRed, the GOP online fundraising platform utilized by various campaigns, including Trump's, momentarily shut down. LaCivita advised donors who saw a WinRed error message to either sign up for Trump's text messaging list or return to the website and try again.

"If you are one of the millions of American Patriots wanting to donate to Donald Trump’s campaign and you get an error message from @WINRED …don’t give up! Log back on and try again ! or Text TRUMP to 88022," LaCivita wrote in a tweet.

Trump's campaign website also directed donors to Anedot, another fundraising platform used by various GOP campaigns.

Donald Trump's conviction would not have any electoral consequences

On the eve of the verdict, the top pollsters for the former president released a memo claiming that a conviction would not affect the election.

Trump's team also sent out a warning to Republican campaigns further down the ballot not to attempt to raise money off of the former president's conviction to stop money from "siphoning" into Trump's bank account.

Joe Biden's re-election campaign also quickly sent out fundraising appeals 

Biden's re-election campaign also promptly sent out fundraising appeals following the verdict. "Despite a jury finding Donald Trump guilty today, there is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: At the ballot box," the Biden campaign wrote in a fundraising text to supporters.

And it urged that "if you have been waiting for the perfect time to make your first donation to Joe Biden's reelection campaign, we're here to tell you today is the day."

Trump has been aiming to close his fundraising gap with Biden. In April, his campaign and the Republican National Committee for the first time outraised the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee. While Trump has stepped up his fundraising, the Biden campaign still enjoyed an $84 million to $49 million cash-on-hand advantage at the end of April.

Internet takes a dig at Donald Trump's single-day fundraising record

Netizens mocked Trump's fundraising record as many said that the money would be used to pay the lawyers.

One user wrote, "Too bad its all going to legal fees instead of marketing in swing states during election season." Another wrote, "He’ll need it for the other 2 trials."

"It's a nice start, but he'll need a whole lot more after his sentencing on Jul 11," added one user. 

"We always knew he’d exploit his criminal activity for profit," echoed one user, and another tweeted, "Did he raise half a billion? if not, its all going to legal fees. lol" 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.