Revealed: Former VP Mike Pence's Presidential Campaign Struggles, Raises 'Less Than $1.2 Million' Ahead of First Debate

Former vice president Mike Pence may have an uphill battle when it comes to meeting the criteria set by the Republican National Committee for 2024 hopefuls to qualify for the first debate, RadarOnline.com has learned.

On Friday, an aide said the politician raised less than $1.2 million for his presidential campaign during the second quarter of this year, which spanned from April until the end of June. It's unknown how many donors contributed.

Although it's only been a few weeks since his announcement, The Washington Post pointed out that "the figure is notably small for someone who has held the position of vice president."

Per the fundraising requirements, Pence must "have a minimum of 40,000 unique donors to candidate's principal presidential campaign committee (or exploratory committee), with at least 200 unique donors per state or territory in 20+ states and/or territories."

The first Republican presidential primary debate is just weeks away, on August 23, and will take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Meanwhile, his rival and former boss Donald Trump, as well as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, are both pulling numbers well over that of Pence.

Aides for Trump said he raised $35 million during the second quarter for his official campaign and his separate leadership PAC, Save America, which he has used to pay some of his legal bills.

As for DeSantis, his campaign shared last week that they raised $20 million in the six weeks after his announcement. Pence, nonetheless, made it clear he's remaining positive amid his presidential aspirations.

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"We'll make the debate stage," Pence said in Iowa on Friday amid the development. He also expressed confidence that he'll meet the "at least 1 percent" needed in certain polls so he can be there.

"I've been very humbled to see our support around the country growing since we announced here in Iowa just about a month ago," he said. "We're reaching out to people all across the country who share our vision, our conservative values."