Trump allegedly made disparaging comments about Harris' intellectual capacity during a meal with contributors.
As reported by The Times, the ex-president made a questionable comment during a dinner with wealthy benefactors at his penthouse apartment last month. Attendees included Trump's former education secretary Betsy DeVos, her spouse, hedge fund manager Paul Singer, investment banker Warren Stephens, and billionaire Joe Ricketts.
The ex-president asserted to the well-off group that his administration's tax plan benefited them and they should be appreciative, showing more support for his campaign, according to The Times.
Insiders informed The Times that Trump was disgruntled with fundraising figures as Harris consistently surpasses his campaign's fundraising numbers.
"If money equated to electoral victory, Hillary Clinton would have been president," Trump's campaign declared in a statement to CNN last Saturday.
"President Trump has never been financially stronger and is leading in the polls," his campaign spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, added.
As the election enters its final stages, with the race for the White House still a close contest, Trump's dissatisfaction surfaces. Researchers at OpenSecret, a nonpartisan group tracking spending in elections, pointed out in a recent report that at the current rate, Trump might have difficulty matching his 2020 campaign's contributions.
On the other hand, Harris has raked in $1 billion since joining the race in late July, as reported by CNN earlier this week. While other presidential hopefuls, alongside their political parties, have exceeded the $1 billion mark in previous elections, Harris reached that milestone at an extraordinary pace.
Trump has not been shy about making derogatory comments about his competitors, including President Joe Biden during his campaign. Early last month, Trump publicly rebuked Harris’ mental capacity at a Pennsylvania rally, calling her "mentally handicapped."
Harris faced criticism during her 2019 presidential campaign for silently nodding in agreement to a voter's use of the term "mentally challenged."
At the time, Harris issued an apology via her campaign's Twitter account (then known as X) and acknowledged, "That word and others like it are never acceptable."
At the dinner, Trump also repeated his recent criticisms of Jewish voters who don't support him, stating once again, "they need their heads examined," according to The Times.
Trump has used the exact phrase multiple times on the campaign trail, suggesting that Jewish voters would share some responsibility if he loses in November.
CNN's Fredreka Schouten and Edward-Isaac Dovere contributed to this report.
The ex-president's comments at the dinner sparked discussions about his perception of political support, implying that wealthy donors should be more invested in his campaign due to his tax plan's benefits.
Given his current financial situation and election standings, Trump's politics have been influenced by his dissatisfaction with fundraising figures, particularly when compared to Kamala Harris' significant contributions.
