U.S. President Donald Trump, Yonhap News
President Donald Trump has begun tapping his political war chest to shore up vulnerable Republican candidates ahead of November’s midterm elections, as a prolonged war with Iran weakens his standing.
CNN reported on the 15th, citing local sources, that Trump has given final approval to deploy a large share of funds from his personal political action committee (PAC) to help Republican candidates who are struggling in the midterm races. The money is expected to start flowing within a few weeks.
The total size of the support has not been finalized, sources said, but $30 billion — about 42.6 billion won — is being floated as the first installment. One source described it as the “first salvo” of a campaign for an election now three months away.
The financial firepower behind Trump’s camp has already swelled to a considerable scale. According to a Wall Street Journal report, donations and contributions channeled to Trump-linked groups since the 2024 presidential election total at least $781.95 million, or about 1.11 trillion won.
The largest of these is MAGA Inc., a super PAC set up to back candidates aligned with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement, which held $382 million as of the end of May.
Alongside the spending, Trump is preparing to hit the campaign trail himself. According to one aide, he is considering visiting battleground states to campaign in person at least once a week.
CNN reported that Trump’s aides have been signaling the plan for months, adding that Republicans have long argued the approach is a key card for rallying the MAGA base, which is seen as decisive to a midterm victory.