Top GOP donors are having second thoughts about backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the party's presidential nomination, with reports claiming that some are advising him to wait until 2028.
The top concern appears to be a divide over support for former President Donald Trump, with some worried that DeSantis will not be able to overtake him in enough primary races to win the nomination.
Wealthy Republican Donors Get Cold Feet -- Want DeSantis to Wait Until 2028 https://t.co/sBQPoKtpuq
— GM (@GM50423181) March 26, 2023
"The report also highlighted the newfound hesitancy among some of DeSantis’s backers, including what NBC News described as 'conservative billionaire shipping goods magnate Richard Uihlein' and his wife, who gave roughly half a million in contributions to DeSantis’s reelection campaign," according to CF.org.
"NBC News, citing someone 'familiar with the strategy' around their spending, said, 'The brakes are pumped,' in part, due to DeSantis’s waning status in recent surveys," it added.
Things are about to get very interesting.
Should DeSantis run in 2024 or wait until 2028?https://t.co/ZdqTeIOoHj
— Chuck Woolery (@chuckwoolery) March 26, 2023
Last month, former Alaska Republican Gov. Sarah Palin spoke highly of DeSantis while calling for him to wait for a future presidential run.
“I envision him as our president someday, but not right now. Everybody I speak with in Florida, they all love him. And he does set the tone for, I’d say every other governor in the nation," Palin said.
"I think he’s our best governor and he should stay governor for a bit longer. He’s young. You know he has decades ahead of him where he can be our president," she added.
Report: DeSantis Donors, Supporters Begin to Question if He Should Run in 2024 or Wait Until 2028
ABANDONING FLORIDA MONTHS AFTER ELECTION WOULD BE A TERRIBLE POLITICAL MOVE. https://t.co/0KtQJQmO4p— Fred Johnson (@FredJoh26842729) March 25, 2023
Others, like former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, have simply chosen to endorse Trump for 2024 to make their view clear.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has gone another step, helping to lead Trump's campaign in South Carolina.
The latest moves continue to signal that DeSantis is being discouraged from a run to clear the field for Trump, paving the way for a rematch with President Joe Biden.
Many conservatives, however, remain concerned that a rematch will lead to similar results, seeking a new candidate in DeSantis who has a better shot with key battleground states.
