Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign announced that it raised just $2.6 million in May and ended the month with a dismal $6.4 million in cash on hand, according to recent filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Despite these efforts, Kennedy’s independent presidential bid faces significant financial challenges in comparison to former President Donald J. Trump and the 81-year-old Democrat incumbent Joe Biden.
The campaign spent $6.3 million in May, outpacing the money it took in. A substantial portion of this expenditure, approximately $2.7 million, was directed to a consulting firm specializing in ballot access. Additionally, the campaign made several disbursements to prepare for the upcoming presidential debate on CNN, scheduled for June 27.
However, by Wednesday’s midnight deadline, Kennedy‘s efforts appeared unsuccessful in meeting CNN‘s requirements. Candidates needed to be on enough ballots to feasibly win the presidency and achieve at least 15 percent support in four national polls to qualify for the debate. While Kennedy claims to have made the requisite number of state ballots, his candidacy has yet to be officially certified by many states.
Kennedy’s fundraising totals lag significantly behind Biden and former President Trump. Trump’s campaign, along with the Republican National Committee (RNC), reported raising over $141 million in May. This spike followed the guilty verdict in his New York hush money trial. Meanwhile, Biden secured around $30 million during a Hollywood fundraiser that featured appearances from former President Barack Obama, George Clooney, and Julia Roberts.
Kennedy’s campaign has leaned on contributions from his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, who has an estimated personal fortune of $1 billion following her divorce from Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Shanahan donated $8 million to Kennedy’s campaign in April, supplementing earlier contributions.