A top Republican donor has rowed back on his support of Ron DeSantis over the Florida governor’s stance on abortion and book bans.
Hungarian-born billionaire Thomas Peterffy had previously said he was “looking forward” to funding the 44-year-old lawmaker’s likely bid for the White House.
But he told the Financial Times on Saturday that he and “a bunch of friends are keeping our powder dry” because of the “Governor’s stance on abortion and book banning.”
Earlier this week, DeSantis signed into law a new six-week abortion ban in Florida, worrying many centrist conservatives who see such draconian rules as losing out on the vote. It now goes to the state Supreme Court to get a stamp.
“I put myself on hold,” Peterffy said.
“I am more reluctant to support him. We’ll wait and see which of the primary candidates has the best chance of winning the general, then put all our firepower behind them.”
Top Republican donor Thomas Peterffy has dropped his support for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the 2024 presidential nomination over his stance on abortion on LGBTQ issues
The Florida governor has also struggled to find a way to appeal to Trump’s far-right voter base while positioning himself as a candidate with broader appeal.
DeSantis envisioned making his first trip to the state of Iowa in March for early voting. It would be difficult for him to use dollars raised in Florida for a national GOP campaign
DeSantis has not formally announced a run, but is considered Donald Trump’s main rival for the Republican nomination.
He enjoyed a series of stunning successes as governor of the Sunshine State, but that hasn’t translated to the national scene.
DeSantis has raised $110 million, but only $30 million of that can be used for a presidential campaign.
His famous aversion to small talk has also led to accusations that his national campaigns lack the flair that Donald Trump is known for.
Trump was until recently seen as the man of yesterday, but has enjoyed a huge poll bounce after being indicted by the New York City Attorney General over hush money payments to a porn star.
The Florida governor has also struggled to find a way to appeal to Trump’s far-right voter base while positioning himself as a candidate with broader appeal.
DeSantis wants to ban LGBTQ-themed books in Florida schools and supports a ban on abortion after six weeks in the state.
The Sunshine State previously banned abortion after 15 weeks, which many small-c conservatives say was a sensible compromise between no time limit and a total ban on the procedure.
Peterffy, who founded digital trading platform Interactive Brokers, said he disagreed with the governor’s position on the issues.
But he was more supportive of DeSantis in his battle with Disney. The company has opposed the governor’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which restricts gender and sexuality in schools.
“I think it’s insane for a company to take a stand on gender issues,” said Peterffy.
The businessman, 78, one of the richest men in Florida with an estimated net worth of $26 billion, has long been a top Republican donor. In 2022, he gave $7.7 million to individual Republican campaigns and conservative political action committees, according to OpenSecrets campaign finance data.
Former President Donald Trump has enjoyed a huge bump in the polls following his hush money indictment and subsequent indictment
Trump, until recently seen as a co-supporter, has had his campaign boosted by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s indictment and once again raises huge sums
Trump seems to enjoy trolling his polls against DeSantis and President Joe Biden
DeSantis, 44, has a $110 million war chest. But $80 million of that is tied to the Sunshine State and cannot be transferred to a presidential campaign.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has enjoyed a huge bump in the polls in the wake of his indictment on hush money charges and subsequent indictment.
Trump, who until recently was seen as a co-supporter, has had his campaign boosted by the indictment of Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and is once again raising huge sums of money.
DeSantis has so far kept many backers at bay while touring the country.
His polls seem to have fallen against Trump in recent weeks, with 58 percent supporting Trump compared to just 21 percent supporting DeSantis.