Biden has massive campaign cash lead over Trump as general election begins

WASHINGTON—Donald Trump crushed his opponents in nearly every Republican primary this year. But when it comes to the money race, President Biden has a big head start on his predecessor.

In February, Biden’s campaign apparatus said it brought in more than $53 million, leaving it with more than $155 million on hand at the end of the month. Trump’s operation by comparison reported raising $39.3 million—with $74.4 million in the bank—across his campaign committee, the Republican National Committee, a supportive super PAC and a leadership PAC, which has been drained by shelling out more than $53 million in legal-related expenses since early last year.

As the general election begins in earnest, the new figures underscore how much financial ground the former president has to make up on his likely Democratic challenger—money used for pricey TV ads, campaign staff, office space, consulting fees and other expenses.

Trump has retained a slight advantage in polls in battleground states, where thin margins will likely decide who wins the presidency in November. Money also doesn’t necessarily equal guaranteed victory; Hillary Clinton bested Trump in the 2016 money race but still lost the White House. And Trump’s fundraising is likely to pick up now that he has replaced the leadership at the RNC and formed a joint-fundraising committee.

Nonetheless, Biden’s fundraising advantage lays bare the risks that Trump has going into spring and summer, when he’ll accept his party’s nomination at the Republican National Convention. His financial health might also reflect the segment of Republicans who say they’ll refuse to vote for Trump even if he were the nominee, according to surveys of GOP primary voters by AP VoteCast.

While the Biden team