By Jason Lange
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump helped raise more than $56 million from online donors during the first six months of this year, a campaign finance disclosure showed on Friday in a sign of Trump's power within the Republican Party.
The "Trump Make America Great Again Committee," which raises money for the Republican Party and for fundraising groups controlled by Trump, brought in more than $34 million during the period, according to a report filed by Winred, the dominant online fundraising platform for Republicans.
Additionally, Trump's own fundraising committees, together with another group that raises money exclusively for them, raised more than $22 million through Winred.
Most of the money came through donations of less than $50, and the combined haul shows Trump maintains a powerful sway over the party's rank-and-file even after his turbulent four-year term ended in January.
Trump's fundraising committees are expected on Saturday to file reports detailing their finances in the first half of the year.
The Winred report, which details contributions made to dozens of Republican candidates and groups that use the online platform, showed that Trump-associated committees brought in more cash than the combined fundraising by the two main Republican committees tasked with supporting the party's bid to win control of Congress in next year's elections.
Trump has a tense relationship with some leading members of his party, including Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell and Representative Liz Cheney, who was ousted from a party leadership role after she joined Democrats in voting to impeach Trump for inciting rioters to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6. Trump was acquitted by the U.S. Senate.
He remains the party's most popular politician, though he has not yet said if he will run for president again in the 2024 election.