Haley donor Art Pope to Trump: If you want my millions you’ll have to earn them. Republican moneyman weighs options after former South Carolina governor drops out of race

Entrenched Republican donor Art Pope said Wednesday that Donald Trump would have to change course on economic and fiscal policy if he wanted to win his support.

Pope poured his financial support into Nikki Haley’s campaign. Like her other supporters, he said he was now considering his next move after she announced she would suspend her run after losing 14 of the 15 Super Tuesday states.

“I’m a never Biden, but not a never Trumper,” he said.

“It depends on what President Trump does. It depends on who he appoints as vice president. It depends on what policies he wants to emphasize during his campaign.

“It depends on whether or not he reaches out to traditional conservatives like me.”

Republican donor Art Pope supported Nikki Haley until she dropped out on Wednesday. Now he and other supporters must decide what to do with their money and their voters

On Wednesday morning, a new phase began in the 2024 presidential election: the battle for Haley’s supporters and the battle for her donors.

As the last candidate to oppose Trump, she became a fundraising magnet, bringing in $16 million in January and $12 million last month, even as she suffered primaries.

For her part, she refused to endorse Trump when she withdrew, saying it was up to him to earn the votes of her supporters.

Both the former president and his rival, 2024 President Joe Biden, have issued statements seeking to do just that.

At the same time, Haley’s backers are considering their next move.

Some were happy that she stayed in the race even as her path to victory became mathematically impossible, leaving her to act as spokesperson for about a third of the party unwilling to back Trump.

Now that she is free, they must make a decision: bow to this cycle or find the best place for their money.

Pope, a North Carolina businessman who made his fortune through hundreds of retail stores, said he was proud to support Haley’s campaign, which he said was built on “strength and grace.”

He endorsed Haley in November after former Vice President Mike Pence dropped out. He has longstanding ties to the powerful Koch political network and is a former chairman of Americans for Prosperity, which has also put significant weight behind Haley.

On Tuesday night, Donald Trump pointedly avoided mentioning Nikki Haley in his Super Tuesday speech. That all changed Wednesday morning when he hit her

Trump aired his thoughts on his Truth Social platform Wednesday morning, but still appealed to her supporters to support his White House campaign

Supporting Robert Kennedy Jr. was ruled out, according to Pope, but he remained open to other possibilities.

‘There is always a black swan: a shortcoming in the health of President Biden or that of President Trump, an international crisis, whether No Labels would come up with a candidate for president, a vice president who is attractive to me and had a chance to win,” he added.

‘Those are things I don’t know. I’ll decide when they come around.’

Trump would have to change direction to win his support. That means dropping plans for a universal import tariff, a costly debt reduction plan and taking the looming social security funding crisis seriously.

“For me personally, it’s more traditional, limited government, free enterprise and low taxes,” he said, echoing Haley’s position.

He mentioned Trump’s plan for a 10 percent universal tariff on all imported goods.

“A tariff is a tax on the American people, not only on American families and consumers, but also on American employers, who import raw materials, components and equipment to carry out their production and create jobs in America,” he said.