President Trump has collected more donations than any Democratic primary candidate, a product of his unorthodox campaign that started amassing money on his first day in the White House - something no other president in U.S. history has done. Yet, two billionaires in the race for the Democratic nomination, Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer, have contributed around $200 million each to their own committees, almost catching up to Trump when it comes to funding.
While Bloomberg has not accepted any donations at all, Steyer collected around $3 million in contributions, which has also landed him spots at the debate stage. Bloomberg's lack of donors has so far excluded him from participating in debates. He is now expected to take the stage for the first time on Feb 19 since the DNC has announced eliminating donor tresholds from their qualification criteria - a move that has drawn criticism because it is perceived to be "tailor-made" for Bloomberg.
While President Trump is gearing up for the presidential election, there are still 11 major Democratic candidates who are fighting to become the party's nominee. Apart from Bloomberg and Steyer, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has received the most donations, according to the FEC. Former Vice President and poll leader Joe Biden has only collected a moderate $61 million in his campaign's name, placing him behind Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and former mayor Pete Buttigieg.
