Clinton has big cash lead; Pence says message matters more

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton waves to the audience as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump puts his notes away after the third presidential debate at UNLV in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton waves to the audience as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump puts his notes away after the third presidential debate at UNLV in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. (AP Photo/John Locher)

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump's campaign said Friday the billionaire businessman may plunge more of his personal fortune into his presidential bid after new federal filings that show Hillary Clinton with an $85 million cash advantage in the final stretch.

The latest fundraising records, up to date as of Wednesday, show Trump had given only about $33,000 this month — far less than the $2 million he typically gives and still $44 million short of the $100 million he's repeatedly promised to contribute over the course of the campaign.

"He will continue to make investments into his campaign including in these last 11 days," Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said on Fox News. "He has said publicly many times he is in for 100 million dollars, and he is happy to invest in his campaign."

Clinton's campaign and joint accounts with Democrats had $153 million in the bank as of last week. That's more than double the $68 million the Republican's campaign and partnership committees had on hand.

Clinton maintains a staff of more than 800 — several times as large as Trump's — and has spent more on advertising than the Republican has in every week of the race.

"We are being incredibly efficient with the dollars we have. We're doing things smarter," said Trump deputy campaign manager David Bossie in a conference call with reporters.

Running mate Mike Pence said Friday it's up to Trump to decide if he wants to increase his personal giving.

"He'll make that decision, but I'll tell you what, the strength of this campaign is not dollars and cents, it's really the American people," Pence said on ABC's Good Morning America. ''I really think it's the message. I think it's the agenda."

Pence also said there's "strong evidence" and "significant intelligence" indicating that Russia is behind the hacked emails of Clinton's campaign staff.

The comments are in contrast to assertions by Trump, who claims the U.S. has "no idea" who is behind the email hacks. The U.S. intelligence community has blamed Moscow, stating that "based on the scope and sensitivity" of the hacking, "only Russia's senior-most officials could have authorized these activities."

In the Good Morning America interview, Pence said "there's certainly strong evidence [to] that effect."

He said if he and Trump are elected, they would "follow the facts." Pence added: "Certainly there's going to be very strong consequences if any state actor is involved."

The Indiana governor made the rounds on the morning shows Friday after his plane slid off the runway during a rainstorm at New York's LaGuardia Airport late Thursday, tearing up concrete before coming to rest on a patch of grass. No one was injured, and Pence planned to campaign in Pennsylvania and North Carolina on Friday.

Trump is holding events in New Hampshire, Iowa and Maine, one of two states that split their electoral voters by congressional district. His campaign is shooting for one of the traditionally Democratic state's four electoral votes in the more rural, conservative 2nd District.

Clinton, meanwhile, plans to campaign in Iowa, where new polling shows her in a dead heat with Trump, erasing a lead he's maintained for much of the race. Her campaign will also get a boost from President Barack Obama, whose national approval rating recently reached a new high. He'll be holding an evening rally in Orlando, a key battleground area of the crucial swing state of Florida.

White House officials say Obama will be traveling to boost Clinton nearly every day until Election Day, Nov. 8.

Her campaign also released a new ad featuring the president saying that a vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote to uphold his legacy. Obama says in the ad that "all the progress we've made these last eight years is on the ballot."

Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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