In the long arc of American democratic life, money has always followed power — and power has always followed money. This week, Donald Trump announced plans to deploy between $400 million and $500 million from his super PAC toward the midterm elections, a commitment that places him among the most consequential financial forces in modern electoral politics. The pledge, made months before voting begins, is as much a declaration of continued political relevance as it is a campaign finance decision — a signal to candidates, donors, and rivals alike that Trump intends to remain the gravitational cen