Trump claims record-busting $50m haul from single Palm Beach fundraiser featuring ex-president and Melania

The Trump campaign says that it raised $50.5m at a Saturday evening fundraiser in Palm Beach attended by the former president and wife Melania.

The financial boon is nearly double President Joe Biden’s haul of $26m from a New York City event last month.

The Florida soiree was held at the mansion of billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson, who hosted the event with his girlfriend Alina de Almeida.

Mr Trump spoke to the 117 guests in the home’s backyard for about 45 minutes after joining them for pictures, according to a campaign spokesperson, describing those gathered as “leaders”.

The former president spoke about energy production, border control, limiting inflation, extending tax cuts from his first term, and bashed President Biden for pushing carmakers to make more electric vehicles.

Mr Trump also spoke about protecting Israel amid its war in Gaza and Republicans’ growth among minority voters. He also challenged Mr Biden to debate him.

“Success will be our only revenge,” he told guests.

The guest list included a number of billionaires. Mr Trump initially struggled to attract big donors to his campaign, and several at first backed his primary rivals instead. However, since his overwhelming primary victory, the Republican Party has united behind the former president.

Co-chairs of the fundraiser included Las Vegas businessman Robert Bigelow; New York grocery billionaire John Catsimatidis; former World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon; casino boss Steve Wynn, and former Georgia senator Kelly Loeffler.

A $814,600 donation got you a seat at Mr Trump’s table while $250,000 covered a photo op with the former president and a personalised copy of his coffee table book featuring photos from his time in