The hotel industry’s magnate, Robert Bigelow, who was once the most substantial benefactor of Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, has announced his shift in support toward Donald Trump. However, Bigelow is withholding his financial aid until he is confident that Trump is not facing imprisonment.
What Happened: As reported by Reuters on Monday, Bigelow disclosed his current inclination towards Trump. However, he also stated his intention to hold back monetary support until the verdicts of Trump’s multiple civil and criminal trials are out. “I have to be sure that he does not have a position where the prosecution has a path to send him to jail,” he said.
Trump, despite his legal hurdles, is a clear favorite in the race for the Republican presidential nomination for the 2024 elections. Bigelow would consider financially backing Trump if the latter is convicted but only receives a probationary sentence.
Bigelow, a significant donor to the “Never Back Down” super PAC favoring DeSantis, has paused further donations to the Florida governor, as revealed by a previous report by Reuters from August. This decision came after DeSantis endorsed a bill prohibiting abortions after six weeks.
Bigelow’s shift in support may not substantially impact Trump’s candidacy, given the small donations that primarily fund Trump’s campaign. However, it could potentially affect DeSantis’s campaign, which is currently financially strained.
Why It Matters: The withdrawal of Bigelow’s support is a significant blow to DeSantis. Bigelow had previously threatened to cut funding in August due to unaddressed campaign changes, as reported by Benzinga.
DeSantis’s campaign let go of multiple staff members to meet fundraising targets, as stated in Benzinga’s report from July.
DeSantis’s campaign had been struggling to appease major donors such as Steve Schwarzman, co-founder of Blackstone Inc, who have grown increasingly skeptical of DeSantis’s ability to secure the Republican nomination from Trump, as per a Benzinga article from May.
Photo via Shutterstock
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