Welcome to the online version of From the policy deskevening bulletin that brings you the latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill from the NBC News Politics team.
In today’s edition, we explore how Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s expected exit from the presidential race could give Donald Trump a boost. Plus, national political reporter Ben Kamisar explains how Kamala Harris opened the floodgates to fundraising.
Programming note: Tune in to a special edition of the Policy Desk newsletter each evening following the Democratic National Convention this week, bringing you the latest news and analysis from our team in Chicago.
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How Harris Boosted Democratic Fundraising
By Ben Kamisar
The latest campaign finance reports underscore how much the switch from Joe Biden to Kamala Harris has boosted Democratic enthusiasm and fundraising.
The party’s presidential campaign reported raising an impressive $204 million in July. Biden was the top candidate on the ticket until July 21, when he dropped out and endorsed his running mate. For comparison, Donald Trump’s campaign collected $47.5 million in July.
A look at the digital fundraising numbers from ActBlue, a platform that effectively acts as a Democratic credit card processor for online donations, shows how Harris has opened the floodgates.
During the first 20 days of July, Biden’s campaign raised nearly $30 million through ActBlue, an average of about $1.5 million a day, as he faced persistent Democratic calls to drop out of the race after a shaky debate performance.
But by the end of the month, Harris had raised more than $183 million, including $39.5 million the day Biden left and almost $43 million the next day — an average of about $16.7 million a day.
The trend is clear. While the campaign never topped $3 million in daily ActBlue fundraising in Biden’s last 20 days as the candidate, it never brought in less than $7 million a day in the last 11 days of July with Harris as the Democratic front-runner.
Here’s what to expect on Night 3 of the Democratic convention
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will deliver the keynote address tonight, providing his biggest opportunity since Harris chose him as his running mate to introduce himself to the nation.
Other notable speakers include: Former President Bill Clinton; former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi; Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg; Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro; Maryland Governor Wes Moore; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries; and Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Katherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and Chris Murphy of Connecticut.
Follow tonight’s performances on our live blog →
RFK Jr. He plans to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race and support Trump
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. intends to end his independent presidential campaign and endorse Trump, according to two sources familiar with the plans. Vaughn Hillyard, Dasha Burns, Katherine Koretski and Alec Hernández report.
Sources cautioned that talks are ongoing, but there will be clarity by the end of the week. The campaigns are working on a joint look, one of the sources said.
The decision to withdraw will end the most prominent third-party candidacy in the 2024 race. Kennedy announced Wednesday that he would give a campaign speech on his “way forward” just days after his running mate. said the campaign was faced with a choice On staying in the 2024 election or dropping out to support Trump.
Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, told NBC News on Tuesday that there was “a lot of communication back and forth” between Kennedy and his campaign. Vance also said Trump would not pledge a Cabinet position to Kennedy’s confirmation.
Potential impact: as Mark Murray notespolls show that Kennedy’s withdrawal would help Trump more than hurt him.
A national NBC News poll found that Republicans approve of Kennedy more than Democrats. In January, Kennedy received net favorable ratings from Republicans (+18) and independents (+4), while Democrats viewed him mostly negatively (-25).
Since then, the spread has increased. Fast forward July NBC News poll – Conducted before Biden’s departure – Kennedy was only in positive territory with Republican voters (+11), while negative among independents (-18) and Democrats (-38).
The July poll also shows that in a multi-candidate field, Trump has 87% of voters who support him in a head-to-head race with Biden, with 10% of his voters voting for Kennedy, 1% for Jill Stein and 1%. % went to Cornel West.
By contrast, Biden retained 85% of his bipartisan support, with 6% going to Kennedy, 3% to Stein, 2% to Chase Oliver and 1% to West.
Since Biden left the race, the overall share of voters supporting Kennedy and third-party candidates in general has fallen, according to national and battleground polls. More voters choose Harris or Trump instead.
Although the potential share of Kennedy supporters is smaller than before, these voters could still be decisive in a close election.
🗞️ The best stories of the day
- 🗓️ 60 years later: Thursday’s speech by Harris will mark the 60th anniversary of civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hammer’s Democratic National Convention speech, where she admonished her party for refusing to support voting rights for Black Americans and for not sitting in an integrated delegation. More →
- 🪧 Outside the arena: Protests outside the Democratic convention far outnumbered those outside the Republican convention last month, thanks to Democrats’ disagreement over the war in Gaza. More →
- 💲 The price is right: Trump slammed Harris’ proposal to ban price gouging, but 37 states and D.C. already have proposals aimed at preventing companies from rapidly raising the prices of certain goods and services. More →
- ⭐ A fading star? Gov. Ron DeSantis took a political hit during Tuesday’s Florida primary when several candidates he supported lost school board races. More →
- 🗳️ On the ballot: With the key Senate races officially set, both parties are set for a tight battle for control of the chamber. More →
- 💸 Serious penalty: A telecommunications company has agreed to pay a $1 million fine for its role in a deep-fake robocall impersonating Biden’s voice before the New Hampshire Democratic primary. More →
- 📰 In memory: Long-term Rep. Bill Pascrell, DN.J., died Wednesday at age 87. More →
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