Thune says he is pressing Trump for more money for Republican midterm candidates
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Politico he has urged President Trump to make sure Republican candidates are well-resourced as the midterms near. Thune pointed to Trump's war chest, high costs in some states and heavy spending in Texas.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said in an interview with Politico on Monday that he has been pressing President Donald Trump for more money for Republican candidates as the midterm elections approach. Raw StoryL “has been pressing President Donald Trump to help Republican candidates with more money as the midterms close in” Read at Raw Story ↗ Washington ExaminerR “on Monday revealed he is pressing President Donald Trump for more funding toward battleground races in the midterm elections” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Mixed · 2Thune said he had "just conveyed to him the importance of ensuring that our candidates are well-resourced", and that resources were a main topic in his talks with Trump and the president's political team. Raw StoryL “"just conveyed to him the importance of ensuring that our candidates are well-resourced."” Read at Raw Story ↗ Washington ExaminerR “Thune said that he’s been emphasizing the question of resources for candidates during conversations with Trump and the president’s advisers” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Right · 1Thune said he believes Trump is "sincerely interested in trying to do whatever he can to help the team" and noted that "some of the states have gotten very expensive." Washington ExaminerR ““I think the president is sincerely interested in trying to do whatever he can to help the team,” Thune said” Read at Washington Examiner ↗
Left · 1Raw Story, citing Politico, says Trump is focused on turning out his own voters at preelection rallies. Thune named Minnesota as a state where the president "could deploy his war chest", which Politico puts at more than $400 million; CNBC reported that Trump's super PAC, MAGA Inc., disclosed $415.8 million in a September FEC filing. Raw StoryL “Thune pointed to Minnesota as one state where the president "could deploy his war chest," which Politico has put at more than $400 million.”“MAGA Inc., disclosed $415.8 million in a new FEC filing in September.” Read at Raw Story ↗ Mixed · 2Republicans have put large sums into the Texas Senate race, where Ken Paxton is the GOP nominee against Democrat James Talarico. The Texas Tribune reported Republican general-election spending topped $140 million by late September, including a $100 million Senate Leadership Fund commitment; the Washington Examiner, citing the same paper, says a Thune-linked group has spent $131 million and Trump's super PAC nearly $24 million. Raw StoryL “Republican general-election spending in the race topped $140 million as of late September, including a $100 million commitment from the Senate Leadership Fund.” Read at Raw Story ↗ Washington ExaminerR “Texas PAC, the entity connected to Thune, has spent $131 million thus far to boost Paxton, while Trump’s super PAC has also kicked in nearly $24 million, according to the Texas Tribune.” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Right · 1The Washington Examiner adds that both parties combined have spent over $205 million on the Texas race, that Talarico has outraised Republicans, and that Republicans reportedly moved funding from North Carolina to Kansas last week. It also cites an NBC News analysis of AdImpact data showing more than $700 million in new Republican ad bookings since early September. Washington ExaminerR “Both parties have combined to spend over $205 million on the general election in the Texas Senate race.”“Republicans reportedly transferred funding from candidates in North Carolina to Kansas last week”“Republicans have made more than $700 million worth of new advertising bookings since the beginning of September” Read at Washington Examiner ↗
Mixed · 2Asked whether Texas spending forces hard choices elsewhere, Thune said "dedicated donors" focused on Texas mean GOP groups have not yet had to pull money from other key states. Raw StoryL “"dedicated donors" focused on Texas have meant GOP groups haven't yet had to pull money from other key states” Read at Raw Story ↗ Washington ExaminerR ““Dedicated donors” focused on Texas have meant GOP groups haven’t yet had to siphon funding away from other key states, he said this week.” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Mixed · 2Thune declined to put odds on Republicans keeping the Senate but said, "I think we can keep the majority". He called the races he must win "margin of error" and said Republicans historically outperform polls. Raw StoryL “Thune declined to put odds on the GOP keeping the Senate and told Politico, "I think we can keep the majority."” Read at Raw Story ↗ Washington ExaminerR ““I think all of these races are margin of error, at least the ones that we have to win,” Thune said this week.” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Mixed · 2Raw Story reports that Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), keeping a low profile in October and focusing on private fundraising, agrees the question is whether Republicans have enough money to counter surging Democratic campaigns. The Washington Examiner cites the Iran war, the economy, affordability and energy costs as pressures on Republicans. Raw StoryL “agrees the question is whether Republicans have enough money to "counter surging Democratic campaigns,"” Read at Raw Story ↗ Washington ExaminerR “Republicans are facing a tough year in the face of possible voter pushback come November regarding the economy and the Iran war.” Read at Washington Examiner ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Frames the story as Thune 'begging' Trump for cash as time runs out, stressing tight money and a widening battleground.
- Emphasis
- Trump's war chest of more than $400 million, MAGA Inc.'s $415.8 million filing, Republican spending in Texas and Schumer's view.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the reported North Carolina-to-Kansas fund transfer or the $700 million in ad bookings.
- Charged language
- “begging”
- For example
-
“Thune begging Trump for campaign cash as clock ticks down on election” — Raw Story
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Presents it as Thune pressing Trump for battleground funding, while showing Republicans' resolve and heavy spending.
- Emphasis
- Texas spending totals, ad bookings, the North Carolina-to-Kansas shift, Thune's praise of Trump and his confidence about holding the majority.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention Trump's war chest or Minnesota, or Schumer's comments.
- Charged language
- “rescue mission”
- For example
-
“Thune presses Trump for more funding toward swinging battleground races red” — Washington Examiner
“THE GOP’S KEN PAXTON RESCUE MISSION TOPS $100 MILLION IN TEXAS” — Washington Examiner
What every side reports
- Thune told Politico he has pressed Trump and his team on resources for Republican candidates.
- Thune said he conveyed the importance of ensuring candidates are 'well-resourced'.
- Thune said 'dedicated donors' in Texas mean GOP groups have not yet had to pull money from other states.
- Thune said he thinks Republicans can keep the Senate majority and called the key races 'margin of error'.
John Thune person
Says he has told Trump candidates must be well-resourced, thinks Trump wants to help, and believes Republicans can keep the Senate.
““I think the president is sincerely interested in trying to do whatever he can to help the team,” Thune said” — Washington Examiner
“"I think we can keep the majority."” — Raw Story
Donald Trump person
Reported as focused on turning out his own voters at rallies and holding a large war chest through his super PAC; no direct comment is quoted.
“Trump, meanwhile, is focused on turning out his own voters at a series of preelection rallies.” — Raw Story
Left1 article
-
Thune begging Trump for campaign cash as clock ticks down on election
Critical Casts Thune as pleading with Trump for money amid tight finances, pointing to Trump's unused war chest.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
Thune presses Trump for more funding toward swinging battleground races red
Neutral Reports Thune's push for resources with detailed spending figures, noting Republican headwinds and Thune's optimism.
- 6 Oct 13:52 First Raw StoryL Thune begging Trump for campaign cash as clock ticks down on election
- 6 Oct 16:24 +2h 33m Washington ExaminerR Thune presses Trump for more funding toward swinging battleground races red
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.