Brad Pascal, The former campaign manager, liked to describe Mr Trump’s reelection machine as “an unstoppable force.” But interviews with more than a dozen current and former campaign aides and Trump allies, and a review of thousands of items in federal campaign files, show that the president’s and FNC campaigners have developed some nasty habits while burning hundreds of millions of dollars. Ago Bill Stephen He replaced Mr. Parscale in July, and the campaign imposed a series of belt-tightening measures that reshaped initiatives, including hiring practices, travel and advertising budget.

Under Mr. Parscal, more than $ 350 million – nearly half of the $ 800 million spent – has been earmarked for fundraising operations, as no expense has been spared in finding new donors online. The campaign brought together a large, well-paid staff and the team set up a well-stocked office in suburban Virginia; Huge statutory bills were treated as campaign costs; And more than $ 100 million was spent on a TV ad campaign ahead of the party convention, the point at which most voters have historically begun to pay close attention to the race.

Among the most impressive and perhaps the most questionable of the purchases, there was a pair of Super Bowl ads, for which the campaign allocated $ 11 million, according to ad analytics – more than it spent on TV in some of the battle’s top states. It was the ego that allowed Mr. Trump to emulate a billionaire Michael R. BloombergTo buy the big game.