Senator Mitch McConnell privately boasted to Republicans that their fundraising campaign was doing better than that of Donald Trump, reports say.
Mr McConnell’s claims come as the ex-president told supporters to give money to him not the Republican Party, and ordered the GOP to stop using his name and likeness to raise cash.
The Senate minority leader made the comments at a private lunch for Republicans, insiders told the <em>New York Times</em>.
The former president has urged conservatives to donate to his Save America PAC, which observers say would tighten his grip on the party as he tries to take on his enemies within it.
Mr McConnell reportedly spoke after Senator Rick Scott gave a presentation about the fundraising efforts of the GOP’s Senate campaign committee, which supports incumbent senators in their re-election races.
Mr McConnell told the group that the Senate Leadership Fund super PAC had out-raised Mr Trump’s super PAC in 2020, the newspaper reported.
The minority leader reportedly distributed cards to senators that stated that the Senate Republican super PAC had raised “Total: $612+ million” and “In 3 cycles: nearly $1 billion.”
Below that the card gave Mr Trump’s statistics as “Trump: $148+ million.”
David Popp, a spokesman for Mr McConnell, declined to comment.
Mr Trump and Mr McConnell’s once friendly relationship has steadily deteriorated in the wake of Republicans losing the White House and the Senate.
And despite voting to acquit Mr Trump in his historic second impeachment trial in the Senate, Mr McConnell blasted him for his role in the Capitol riot violence of 6 January.
