Republican Jeb Bush and his team are reportedly trying to squash rumors that the potential candidate for president could raise $100 million by the end of this month and as much as $500 million by June.
A
Politico report says big donors are saying behind the scenes that the former Florida governor could take in large sums of cash for his super-PAC, Right to Rise, in the coming months.
Members of Bush's team, however, are playing down the super-PAC's fundraising goals.
"The whispers in the air are not at all accurate," Bush spokesman Tim Miller told Politico. "The PAC's goals are far more modest."
Miller's statement was in contrast to a Fox News report over the weekend, which cited GOP strategist Ed Rollins as saying Bush's fundraising goal is $500 million by June. Rollins spoke with Politico on Monday about his comments.
"That is the goal, and there is no reason to think they cannot reach that goal," Rollins said. "He's been incredibly effective going to people and saying, 'I want a million bucks and I want it now.' No one has a machine like he does, and if he does put together that kind of money, it will chase some people out of the field."
If Bush meets even the $100 million figure, some of the other Republicans in the presidential race could be forced to withdraw. Politico reports that Mitt Romney's PAC spent $43 million during the 2012 presidential primary season.
Bush has been
traveling the country and raising money for Right to Rise, and since he's not an official candidate for president, there are no limits on how much money he can take in. Many of the fundraisers he's been attending have carried price tags of at least $100,000 per plate.
Politico spoke with several Wall Street executives, and all of them had the same response when asked if Bush's PAC could raise $100 million by March 31: Yes.
"I totally understand the campaign's goal of expectations management," one executive told Politico. "But if I had to guess, I bet they get there."
Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker both spent time in
New Hampshire over the weekend, spreading their messages. Walker leads Bush in
several recent polls, even though he also has yet to publicly announce his candidacy for president.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.