Haley’s money surges after debates. Trump’s spikes when he’s indicted.

Donations to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley surged in late August after her standout performance in the first GOP primary debate. The following day, Aug. 24, was her single best online fundraising day of the year.

There was just one problem for Haley: Former President Donald Trump got his mug shot taken in Georgia that same day.

Trump was booked at an Atlanta jail after facing his fourth indictment, this time on conspiracy charges related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. And that image — quickly emblazoned on T-shirts, mugs and other campaign merchandise — fueled a massive fundraising boon for Trump’s campaign.

Trump had his biggest online fundraising day right after Haley — and his brought in nine times as much money as hers had.

Haley and Trump are now the only major candidates left in the GOP primary. And fundraising data from the campaigns and the Republican online donation platform WinRed, filed with the Federal Election Commission this week and analyzed by POLITICO, underscores the significant advantages the former president has thanks to his enthusiastic base. Haley is drawing new, small donors to her campaign. But she's coming nowhere close to competing with the small-dollar army invested in Trump.

Trump’s strongest fundraising days followed his legal troubles, and the hauls are huge

The fundraising numbers demonstrate just how tightly Trump’s legal problems are intertwined with his presidential campaign.

Trump used each indictment as a major fundraising opportunity for his 2024 campaign and a chance to hammer his claim that he is being unfairly targeted by the justice system. And his base of supporters responded.

The mug shot produced Trump’s best online fundraising day of the year in