Ron DeSanti’s biggest donor says he STOPPED giving to Florida government’s 2024 campaign over hardline stance on abortion, with $20 million lender urging GOP to become more moderate

Ron DeSantis’s largest donor has said he will stop giving money to Florida’s governor’s campaign for the presidential nomination because of his stance on abortion.

Hotel entrepreneur Robert Bigelow said he would stop donating money to the Republican unless he takes a more moderate approach.

Bigelow said, “He has to shift gears to get to moderates. He will lose if he doesn’t. You don’t get elected with extremism.’

The founder and president of Bigelow Aerospace indicated during the interview that he had communicated his concerns to DeSantis’ campaign.

Bigelow has already donated $20 million to the pro-DeSantis “Never Back Down” political action committee — 10 times the amount donated by DeSantis’ second-largest donor.

Florida Governor DeSantis speaks at a news conference proposing anti-crime legislation on August 1, 2023

When pressured to point out policies Bigelow did not support, he cited only DeSantis who signed in April banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

For now, Bigelow has backed off from making more donations, saying, “Not until I see he’s capable of generating more on his own.”

“I am already too big a percentage. Many of his backers are still on the fence.”

DeSantis ran to Trump’s right despite Republican strategists saying he should try to win over moderates worried about Trump’s eligibility.

The abortion restrictions put in place by DeSantis also shocked other donors, with metal magnate Andy Sabin reportedly soured by the announcement.

Commenting on the abortion movie, Sabin, who regularly hosts fundraisers for candidates, said, “I love DeSantis. He’s a great governor, but I don’t think he can win national elections with his stance on abortion.”

In a statement, a DeSantis campaign spokesman, Bryan Griffin, said they were “grateful” for supporters and donors who gave them “the capacity to fight for the long haul,” without addressing Bigelow directly.

The six-week ban has sparked controversy in states where it has been enacted nationwide because it is often too early for a woman to determine if she is pregnant.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis halts 15-week abortion ban after signing it, Thursday, April 14, 2022

The signing took place in a private ceremony and was announced hours after the Florida State House passed the bill in a vote aimed at protesters.

The latest polls show former President Donald Trump is now more than 38 percent behind DeSantis in his quest to be crowned the Republican nominee in 2024.

Trump currently leads with 53.3 percent in a recent poll, while DeSantis is second with only 14.3 percent.

It comes after new polls suggest that if an election were held now, Donald Trump would beat incumbent President Joe Biden by five percent.

Their poll, which polled 2,068 registered voters, also showed a broad sense of discontent across the country for both major party candidates, with 70 percent looking for another option.

The majority of those polled also agreed that President Biden was mentally incapable of remaining president.

59 percent of people agreed that they had doubts about his eligibility for office, with the majority GOP voters, 85 percent.

Robert Bigelow, founder and president of Bigelow Aerospace stands next to a model of an inflatable habitat that could be used for future space exploration

The polls also widely agreed that Biden showed he is too old to be president, with more than two-thirds, 68 percent, agreeing that he was too old.

Should the Republican party primary fall between DeSantis and Trump, the former president would win with 63 percent of the vote, according to polls.

DeSantis campaign researcher Ryan Tyson disagreed with the poll’s findings, tweeting that the national sample, collected through an internet panel, “is not a likely Republican voter poll using voting history.”

“While I appreciate the desire for clicks, stories and publicity, these findings should not be remotely taken as indicative of where likely primary voters are today,” Tyson said.