Trump, RNC slightly outpace Biden, DNC in April fundraising despite coronavirus challenges

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Biden calls out Trump for undermining core pillars of US economic strength

2020 Democratic candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy on NowThis.

The Trump campaign and Republican National Committee [RNC] on Monday announced they had brought in $61.7 million in fundraising for the month of April -- just slightly outpacing Joe Biden’s presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee [DNC], which had a $60.5 million fundraising haul.

Both sides brought in less cash compared to March, when the Republicans raised over $63 million and the Democrats took in nearly $79 million.

The coronavirus outbreak swept the nation during March and shut down the nation’s economy by the end of the month. The new campaign cash report is further proof of the challenges of fundraising during the pandemic – which has forced campaigns to replace in-person top-dollar fundraisers with virtual events conducted online. And, with one in five working Americans filing for unemployment, contributing even small-dollar donations to a political campaign has taken a backseat for many people.

BIDEN ACCUSES TRUMP OF PUSHING 'FALSE CHOICE' DURING CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

“While day-to-day life may have slowed this past month, enthusiasm and support for this president has not.  With their time, resources, and ultimately their vote, Americans across this country continue to put their faith in President Trump,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement.

The former vice president – acknowledging the difficult times – said in his own statement to supporters, “I am especially humbled because I know what a sacrifice it is to give in economic times as difficult as the one we're in.”

“When staring down the face of economic uncertainty, you chose to put your money behind me. For that, I will always be eternally thankful,” the Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee emphasized.

Spotlighting his grassroots appeal, Biden noted that the average online donation to his campaign during April “was only $32.63.”

The Trump campaign and the RNC have been building a fundraising juggernaut since early 2017, now with over $255 million cash on hand.

BIDEN INKS JOINT FUNDRAISING AGREEMENT WITH DNC

The Biden campaign and the DNC forged a joint fundraising agreement last month after the former vice president became the party’s presumptive presidential nominee. The joining of forces will allow the two organizations to work together to try to trim the massive campaign cash disadvantage they currently face.

The former vice president’s first virtual fundraiser held under the new agreement with the DNC brought in roughly $2.7 million. That haul – from late last week – will be included in the May fundraising report.

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Fundraising is an important metric that helps measure a campaign’s clout. The money can be used for building up staff, grassroots voter outreach, producing and running TV, radio, digital and print ads, and for travel and other costs associated with running a presidential campaign.

Fox News' Mike Arroyo and Kellianne Jones contributed to this report.