The Clinton campaign and its affiliated groups have spent a total of $104 million over the last two months ($61 million from the campaign and an additional $43 million from outside groups), while pro-Trump forces have spent a combined $12.4 million. The yawning 9-to-1 gap in spending is partly because all the pro-Trump spending has come from outside groups, while the Trump campaign itself has still spent a grand total of $0. NBC writes:
It raises some important questions for the Trump campaign. When will it FINALLY start airing advertisements (with him trailing in key states and nationally 84 days to go until Election Day)? What is Trump doing with his campaign money (after the New York Times reported two weeks ago that Trump and the GOP had raised a combined $82 million last month)? And will any other outside groups come to Trump's defense? Political scientists, you now have an amazing case study on your hands: What happens in a presidential race when one side owns the airwaves for two-straight months?
Oh, and get this: The Green Party's Jill Stein ($189,000) and Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson ($15,000) have spent more on ads than the Trump campaign ($0) in this general election.
Perhaps Trump just needs more time to produce “the best” ads ever. Or maybe he’s waiting for the ideal time to release an onslaught of “rigged” system ads to explain away a potential drubbing.