Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ rising national profile has gained the attention of voters, media pundits, and wealthy political donors.
And raising eyebrows is that many of these high-profile donors had previously given generously to former President Donald Trump.
While DeSantis is raising money for his gubernatorial reelection bid — not a 2024 presidential run — the huge list of some of the 45th president’s biggest benefactors has still gotten attention in Washington, D.C. and beyond.
According to Politico:
DeSantis has attracted the attention of some of the nation’s wealthiest Republican donors, including many who were key financiers of Trump’s reelection bid or backers of high profile Republican candidates and causes, according to POLITICO analysis of campaign finance data.
A DeSantis-aligned political committee, Friends of Ron DeSantis, has received $3.4 million this election cycle from 10 donors who collectively spent $24 million on Trump’s reelection bid. Most of the high-dollar donors had never given contributions in state-level Florida elections, while those who have previously provided funds have significantly increased their spending for DeSantis during the 2022 midterms.
Overall, DeSantis has raised a historic, record-setting $100 million fundraising pace for a single election in the Sunshine State.
He is overwhelmingly favored to win reelection in 2022, and would presumably be able to enter the 2024 presidential election cycle with a massive fundraising war chest.
DeSantis was called a “conservative folk hero” by the New Yorker magazine in a recent issue because of his willingness to battle the far-left on social issues in public.
While the mainstream media have repeatedly egged the two Republican stars to disavow one another, the two have repeatedly denied the rumors of growing tension.
Trump has claimed his endorsement of DeSantis pushed the Florida governor over the top in 2018 when DeSantis won by less than one percent.
But he also said the two have a “very good relationship,” and added, “I’m proud of Ron.”
The Horn editorial team