Hillary Clinton and her supporters spent a record $1.2 billion for her losing presidential campaign — twice as much as the winner, Donald Trump, according to the latest records.
The president-elect, who confounded critics during the campaign by saying there was no need to raise or spend $1 billion or more, ended up making do with $600 million.
Clinton’s expensive machine tore through $131.8 million in just the final weeks, finishing with about $839,000 on hand as of Nov. 28.
Team Trump spent $94.5 million in the home stretch — from Oct. 20 to Nov. 28 — and had $7.6 million left.
The figures include all spending by the campaigns, PACs and party committees.
Trump contributed $66 million from his own pocket, $34 million less than he estimated he would shell out.
Brad Parscale, Trump’s digital director, credited strategic last-minute investments with helping propel the political newcomer to victory.
The campaign and the Republican Party spent about $5 million in get-out-the-vote digital advertising targeted in the final few days at Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Florida.
It proved critical: Some of those states were won by razor-thin margins.
“You think, what if we hadn’t spent that?” Parscale said. “We might not have won.”
Last June, Trump shrugged off skeptics who said he needed to spend $1 billion to have a chance to win.
“There’s no reason to raise that,” Trump said.
“I just don’t think I need nearly as much money as other people need because I get so much publicity. I get so many invitations to be on television. I get so many interviews, if I want them.”