'Dire straits': Insiders say Trump campaigns in shambles just months from election

Former President Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign is in "dire straits" his own staffers say put him at a "huge disadvantage" to incumbent President Joe Biden, according to Washington insiders and a new report.

Money and staffing problems plague Trump's campaign in battleground states where the former president — facing mounting legal fees amid multiple criminal and criminal court battles — cannot afford to expand, according to NBC News.

Two Republican operatives privately told NBC News Trump and the Republican National Committee have fewer than five staff members between them in Pennsylvania and Michigan. And Trump reportedly can't afford to expand the campaign's staff to full capacity in some places, like Pennsylvania, until the summer.

In comparison, Biden's campaign had $71 million cash — more than double Trump's — in February, according to the report.

Biden's campaign told NBC News that money went into a hiring spree that brought in 300 paid staffers across nine states and 100 offices in key swing states.

"Trump’s advisers would not disclose staffing levels, but his ground game still seems to be at a nascent stage," the report notes. "His campaign hired state directors in Pennsylvania and Michigan last week, people familiar with the recruitment process said."

One staffer raised serious concerns and made a blunt comparison between the two campaigns.

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“This is like comparing a Maserati to a Honda — 2020 had staff and the bodies in place to turn out the vote,” one of those staffers said. “This current iteration is starting from ground zero, and we’re seven months out from the election. It makes no sense and puts them at a huge disadvantage to Biden, who is staffing up in droves.”

This comes amid reporting that the Trump campaign, which has also been reprimanded by federal regulators for accepting illegal donations, is so strapped for cash that it is being forced to cancel some rallies.

"Trump's fundraising has been picking up, potentially helping him mount a more competitive ground game if he chooses," the report noted. "His campaign and the RNC said last week they raised more than $65.6 million in March and ended the month with more than $93.1 million on hand."

Biden campaign staffer Ammar Moussa shared the story on X Tuesday, and summarized: A LOT of new reporting here about the dire straits the Trump campaign is in."

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