Citadel CEO and GOP megadonor Ken Griffin says it’s time to get off the Trump Train and “move on” to the “next generation” of the Republican Party: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
In an interview with Politico, the hedge fund head who has dropped nearly $60 million on federal Republican candidates and campaigns during this highly consequential election cycle, said that, while former President Donald Trump had some good fiscal policies during his time in the White House, it’s time for a change.
“He did a lot of things really well and missed the mark on some important areas,” Griffin said. “And for a litany of reasons, I think it’s time to move on to the next generation.”
To that end, Griffin has put $5 million toward the reelection of DeSantis, making him the lead donor to the governor’s campaign this cycle.
Speaking on whether he would back DeSantis in 2024, Griffin said, “Would I support him? The bigger question is, is he going to run? That bridge has to be crossed.”
Rumors of a 2024 run by DeSantis have been swirling for some time now, as the governor’s popularity has surged nationwide thanks to his bold leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic and his fearless fight for parental rights in education.
Even Trump appeared to many to be concerned about a DeSantis challenge after he took a badly-timed, bizarre swipe at the governor during a Save America rally in Pennsylvania, calling DeSantis “Ron DeSanctimonious.”
The jab, just days before the midterm elections, was met with a frigid response from many within Trump’s MAGA base.
Trump workshops new nickname mocking DeSantis while talking 2024 polling – gets cool reception https://t.co/fnM7vjo8nw pic.twitter.com/pAwsskMPzY
— BPR (@BIZPACReview) November 6, 2022
Even conservative actor James Woods, a longtime vocal supporter of Trump, said it was “not a good moment” for 45.
https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/1589124724973768705?s=20&t=KR2zOepEP74RIMmDKXk3JA
While DeSantis has mostly stayed silent about his plans for 2024, Trump has repeatedly hinted that he intends to run again.
Stumping in Pennsylvania for Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz and gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, Trump told the crowd, “Everybody, I promise you, in the very next — very, very, very short period of time, you’re going to be happy. But first we have to win a historic victory for Republicans on November 8.”
Though there are still millions of Americans who would love nothing more than to see a Trump reboot, it’s stunts like name-calling that have turned Griffin off.
Trump is “pointlessly divisive,” he told Bloomberg TV last year, according to Fox News. “I think it’s time for America to move on.”
That’s not to say he’s totally on board with all of DeSantis’s moves.
He wasn’t in favor of the governor’s decision to fly illegal Venezuelan migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard for example.
“I don’t agree with what he did,” he told CNBC. “I’m certain that my team’s communicated that to him. The point that he’s trying to make, I agree with, but the immigrants — the illegal immigrants are coming over the border in Texas. … I don’t think Governor DeSantis had to get in the middle of this.”
Additionally, he was not a big fan of DeSantis’s move to strip Disney of its “independent special district” status in Florida following a very public war over the governor’s Parental Rights in Education bill.
“I have no qualms with the very public fight,” Griffin told POLITICO, “but the revocation of Disney’s special tax district felt like retribution.”
Still, DeSantis has Griffin’s backing if he does decide to run in 2024.
“I don’t know what he’s going to do. It’s a huge personal decision,” he said. “He has a tremendous record as governor of Florida, and our country would be well-served by him as president.”
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Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
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