Trump campaign's small-dollar donations surge, marking major shift for GOP

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The Republican Party has long been panned by its detractors as the party of big money and big donors -- but donation patterns have changed measurably under President Trump, a Fox News analysis of campaign finance data shows.

Sixty-one percent of money raised directly by the Trump campaign this election cycle came from small donors (donations under $200), according to Federal Election Commission figures.

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That is similar to the proportion Trump raised during the 2016 election cycle, when 65 percent of donations were under $200. And this is dramatically higher than previous Republican nominees. Mitt Romney raised 26 percent of his direct contributions from small donations in 2012, and John McCain raised 25 percent from small donations in 2008.

Campaign finance analysts say the data indicates grassroots enthusiasm for Trump's populist message.

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"It's pretty clear from the numbers that Trump has done a lot to change that dynamic -- the populist edge he's brought to campaigning is clearly something that is resonating with small donors on the right."

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"The American people are demanding a secure border, demanding an end to the exploitative and unfair trade policies... and demanding an end to an unresponsive swamp culture," Johns said, asserting that first the Tea Party, and then Trump, expanded the base to "today's blue-collar and working Americans."

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"While Trump has collected lots of small checks, he's also still pulling in the major checks and big contributions," Baumgart said.

"What really sets Trump apart from other Republicans in the past is the fundraising machine that he has created," he added. "He's a natural campaigner who has been actively running for reelection since his inauguration. Consequently, the campaign has been able to capitalize on this by fundraising off the back of the numerous political battles that have taken place since then."

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