GOP Megadonor Ken Griffin Urges Trump To Step Aside For DeSantis

GOP Megadonor Ken Griffin Urges Trump To Step Aside For DeSantis
Ken Griffin

By James Lynch

GOP Megadonor Ken Griffin is urging former President Donald Trump, who he called a “three time loser,” to “see the writing on the wall” and not run in 2024, according to Bloomberg.

Griffin’s comments came during Bloomberg’s New Economy Forum held in Singapore, where he said that Trump lost the presidency in 2020, cost the GOP the Senate in the 2021 Georgia runoffs, and bungled the 2022 midterm elections, in which the former president endorsed several candidates who underperformed. (RELATED: POLLS: DeSantis Outperforms Trump In At Least 4 States)

The billionaire donor went on to explain that he hopes the Republican Party will move on from Trump to pave the way for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president. Griffin donated $5 million to DeSantis’ reelection campaign, making him the top donor to DeSantis in the governor’s decisive victory over Democrat Charlie Crist. Griffin gave $60 million to Republican campaigns in the midterm cycle, the third largest total of any large political donor, Politico reported.

Griffin told Politico he is prepared to back Ron DeSantis if he mounts a 2024 presidential campaign. He believes DeSantis’ “tremendous record as governor of Florida” makes him an ideal contender for the White House.

Griffin has, however, expressed reservations about the governor’s “retribution” against Disney. In April, DeSantis signed a bill dissolving the company’s special tax district because of Disney’s opposition to Florida’s Parental Right in Education Act. The bill bans classroom instruction on sexuality and gender identity for public school students in kindergarten through third grade and stipulates that discussions of these topics for older students must be “age appropriate.” Griffin also publicly disagreed with DeSantis’ decision to fly illegal immigrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard.

Griffin’s political donations have shifted from bipartisan support to heavily Republican spending due to his concerns about public safety, education and fiscal responsibility, Politico noted. His donations to Trump were limited to $100,000 for his inaugural committee, even though Griffin liked Trump’s fiscal policies, according to the outlet.

The megadonor hopes Republicans will become more diverse and push back against a perceived populist takeover of the party, Griffin told Politico, adding that he believes minority candidates and women are the future of the party.

Griffin gained his fortune by managing Citadel Securities LLC, a multinational hedge fund specializing in liquidity.

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