Trump has a $300 million campaign war chest for the midterms and 2028. How will he use it?
"There have been no smoke signals," one Republican operative said.
Heading into the midterms, President Donald Trump has an advantage over Democrats he didn’t enjoy in 2018 -- a massive $300 million war chest with one of his political groups, MAGA Inc.
In a year when the Republican Party is facing historic and economic headwinds, the resources could help Republicans protect their House and Senate majorities in Congress.
MAGA Inc. has yet to fully tap those resources, or message to allies where they specifically plan to deploy them, multiple Republican operatives told ABC News, leading some down-ballot Republicans to worry about the level of support they will receive from the president's operation.
"There have been no smoke signals," one Republican operative working with congressional campaigns told ABC News. "I've heard a lot of people freaking out."
To be sure, it is still early in the calendar for the group to be spending or putting down significant resources, and there is plenty of time. A Supreme Court decision on a case focused on campaign spending limits could also scramble spending strategies.
Trump himself has also raised money for House Republicans and the National Republican Campaign Committee.
But the lack of clarity on spending from MAGA Inc., if left unresolved, could further frustrate Republicans who are already grappling with the president’s low approval ratings, and some voters’ frustrations with the economy and ongoing war with Iran.
Historically, the president’s party almost always loses seats in the midterm elections. That precedent has loomed over Capitol Hill, where this Congress a record number of Republicans have decided not to run for re-election.
In a statement to ABC News, MAGA Inc. spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer said that the group is committed to "retaining and building the GOP majorities in the House and Senate" but would not be sharing its plans publicly.
"While MAGA Inc is committed to retaining and building the GOP majorities in the House and Senate, we are not in the habit of sharing our battle plans with the opposition through their co-conspirators in the legacy media," Pfeiffer said.
Three months into 2026, MAGA Inc. has only spent around $18,000 supporting Clay Fuller, the Republican nominee for the Georgia House seat once held by former Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene. The special election is set for April 7.
Last year, the committee spent over $1 million to boost Rep. Matt Van Epps, a Republican running in a special election in Tennessee.
Van Epps, a veteran and former state official, defeated state Democratic Rep. Aftyn Behn by nine points, in a district former Republican Rep. Mark Green won by 21 points in 2024.
At a gathering of Republican political operatives working on GOP Senate campaigns, senior members of Trump’s political team indicated during a moderated discussion for lobbyists and GOP donors that a substantial amount will be spent on Republicans running for Congress, a source in the room for the discussion confirmed to ABC News.
But during the panel, the group did not indicate how much it would spend in the 2026 cycle.
The panel included White House deputy chief of staff James Blair, Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio and Alex Latcham, who currently leads the Senate Leadership Fund, the super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
The group discussed messaging, voter turnout, congressional races they are watching out for, and how Trump will play in this year’s midterm races, working to defend Republicans' majority in Congress, but left unanswered is how much the political operation will spend in the lead-up to November across the House and Senate map.
"It's the 100-pound gorilla in the room," a second Republican operative told ABC News, adding that the war chest gives Trump "maximum leverage" over the party.
"The question is, 'what is it going to be used for?'" the operative said. "Everyone is asking that question."
A third Republican operative, who is involved in Senate races, told ABC News there are no concerns right now that MAGA Inc. has not yet shared its financial commitments for the 2026 midterms, adding that it’s too early for them to get involved.
Trump’s operation has another opportunity to deploy its resources in Virginia, where voters will decide on April 21 whether to allow the state to adopt a new congressional map drawn by Democrats that could eliminate four Republican seats, and bring the national redistricting battle between the parties closer to a draw.
"We welcome any and all support from all levels. I mean, obviously that would be welcome," Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., told ABC News, when asked if she and other Republicans in Virginia are looking for support from President Trump.
Trump has also vowed to use his resources to target opponents in his own party, including Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a libertarian critic of his trade and tariff agenda, who has also opposed the war with Iran.
The political action committee is not required to spend all its money, and can also donate to organizations, including Trump’s presidential library initiative.
The money could also be deployed in future elections beyond next fall, further cementing Trump’s control and influence over the GOP as he finishes his time in office, and as the Republican primary for president plays out.
Both Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio could be candidates to succeed Trump, though Rubio has said he would support Vance. A Trump-backed organization could allow his preferred successor to dominate a primary field should other Republicans enter the race, several Republican operatives suggested to ABC News.
The president has continued to hold fundraisers for MAGA Inc., including one at Mar-a-Lago on Feb. 27.
Together, MAGA Inc, the Republican National Committee and Never Surrender Inc., another Trump political committee, raised more than $400 million through the end of 2025, according to Federal Election Commission disclosures.
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