PRESCOTT, Ariz. — President Donald Trump raised eyebrows during a campaign rally Monday when he suggested he could outraise Joe Biden by using the power of his office to solicit campaign donations from corporations.

What You Need To Know

  • President Donald Trump suggested during a campaign rally Monday that he could outraise Joe Biden by using the power of his office to solicit campaign donations from corporations

  • In one hypothetical, he discussed ExxonMobil asking for permits to be approved and him asking the corporation for a $25 million campaign donation

  • Trump said he didn't want to ask for donations in that manner because he'd be "compromised," and ExxonMobil sent out a tweet clarifying that no such conversation ever happened

  • Soliciting campaign donations in exchange for a specific policy outcome would violate federal law

The comments prompted a response from ExxonMobil, the company that Trump name-dropped in the hypothetical scenario.

The president was reacting to news that Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, has been beating him in fundraising — in September, the former vice president outraised Trump $383 million to $248 million.

"I would be the greatest fundraiser in history,” Trump said during his rally at Prescott Regional Airport in Arizona. “Don’t forget, I’m not bad at that stuff anyway, and I’m president.

“I call the head of Exxon — I don't know, you know, I'll use a company,” the president continued. “'Hi, how are you doing? How's energy coming? When are you doing the exploration? Oh, you need a couple of permits, huh? OK.' But I call the head of Exxon, I say, 'You know, I'd love you to send me $25 million for the campaign. 'Absolutely, sir, why didn't you ask?'

“I will hit a home run every single call. I would raise a billion dollars in one day if I wanted to. I don't want to do that.”

Trump noted that if he did ask for donations in that manner, companies would have expectations later on and he'd be "totally compromised."

It's also illegal to solicit campaign contributions in exchange for specific policy outcomes.

But the rambling nature of the president's remarks and his tying together of campaign donation soliciations and permit approvals led to a video excerpt of the speech and the hashtag “#QuidProQuo” quickly going viral on social media.

ExxonMobil sent out a tweet Monday evening saying: “We are aware of the President’s statement regarding a hypothetical call with our CEO…and just so we’re all clear, it never happened.”

Trump was impeached last year on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress for soliciting a political favor — an investigation into Biden and his son, Hunter — from Ukraine’s president in exchange for releasing military aid. The Republican-controlled Senate acquitted the president.