Businessman Don Tapia, who briefly served as U.S. ambassador to Jamaica from 2019 to 2021, has announced his plan to back Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in the 2024 contest, joining a chorus of former Trump administration officials who have left the Trump train.[0] Tapia stated that the name-calling of Trump had turned a lot of people off, and that many of the Trumpworld are now looking to DeSantis as an alternative.[1]
DeSantis’ arrival in New York City put him in Trump’s turf in Staten Island, the only of the five New York boroughs that Trump won in 2020.[2] He spoke to police officers for 20 minutes and stopped for bagels, where he posed for photos and reportedly shrugged off questions about his political ambitions.[2] With the money DeSantis currently has on hand, he is on nearly equal footing with Trump and far ahead of any other competitor trying to usurp the former president for the party’s 2024 GOP nomination.[3]
The report states that Tapia contributed a six-figure sum to Trump’s campaigns in 2016 and 2020.[4] It is said that he donated more than $50,000 to DeSantis’s re-election campaign.[4] Tapia predicted that if DeSantis declares a bid for president, many from Trumpworld will be drawn to him, tired of Trump’s behavior.[5]
An event taking place on Thursday evening, hosted by Donald Trump, will generate funds for MAGA Inc., the primary super PAC in support of his election campaign.[6] This week’s fundraiser will be MAGA Inc.[7]First comes[7]
As DeSantis intensifies his preparation for a White House bid, several of the wealthiest and most prolific Republican donors are already giving him a major financial boost.[3] The continued financial support is achieved without actually declaring himself a candidate and explains why DeSantis is content to remain on the sidelines.[2] In addition to the $4.5 million from Yass and the Reyes brothers, DeSantis’ political committee has more than $71 million left over from last year’s reelection effort.[8]
The backing of influential GOP donors, some of whom have looked for an alternative to Trump, could make it hard for other potential candidates to put forward a credible bid for the nomination.[8]
0. “Ex-Trump Ambassador Is Done With Him: ‘We Don’t Like That'” Yahoo Canada, 22 Feb. 2023, https://ca.yahoo.com/news/ex-trump-ambassador-done-him-075709619.html
1. “2024 GOP Presidential Contenders Shopping for Big Donors” Newsmax, 21 Feb. 2023, https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/2024-gop-presidential/2023/02/21/id/1109499/
2. “DeSantis gets 7-figure checks from top GOP donors as he soft launches presidential campaign” WSIL TV, 22 Feb. 2023, https://www.wsiltv.com/news/desantis-gets-7-figure-checks-from-top-gop-donors-as-he-soft-launches-presidential-campaign/article_d1015550-c856-582c-b8d4-5d7e4b80a92d.html
3. “DeSantis gets 7-figure checks from top GOP donors as he soft launches presidential campaign” KAKE, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.kake.com/story/48428838/desantis-gets-7figure-checks-from-top-gop-donors-as-he-soft-launches-presidential-campaign
4. “Former Trump Ambassador Would Endorse DeSantis in 2024” The Epoch Times, 22 Feb. 2023, https://www.theepochtimes.com/former-trump-ambassador-would-endorse-desantis-in-2024_5075364.html
5. “Former Trump official says ex-president’s ‘name-calling’ pushed him to DeSantis” Washington Examiner, 21 Feb. 2023, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/former-trump-official-decries-name-calling-backs-desantis
6. “Trump and DeSantis duel for top donors with ‘candlelight dinner’ and three-day retreat just four miles apart” AOL, 21 Feb. 2023, https://www.aol.com/trump-desantis-duel-top-donors-182044936.html
7. “Republican 2024 rivals go shopping for big donors” POLITICO, 21 Feb. 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/21/republican-2024-donors-00083670
8. “DeSantis gets seven-figure checks from top GOP donors as he soft launches presidential campaign – KION546” KION, 22 Feb. 2023, https://kion546.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2023/02/22/desantis-gets-seven-figure-checks-from-top-gop-donors-as-he-soft-launches-presidential-campaign/
