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Tag: donors

  • Trump world to donors: A dollar to DeSantis may as well be a donation to Biden

    Trump world to donors: A dollar to DeSantis may as well be a donation to Biden

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    The memo was sent hours before a New York court delivered a verdict finding that Trump was guilty of sexual abuse of advice columnist E. Jean Carroll and awarding her $5 million in damages for that and defamation.

    Budowich’s memo is, to a degree, a classic boast of a campaign that finds itself in a leading position. He describes Trump as “thoroughly vetted on a national stage” and portrays the legal troubles surrounding the ex-president as fundamentally good for him. “GOP voters aren’t just supporting President Trump overwhelmingly despite the investigations, they are supporting him because of the investigations,” he writes. He also writes that the argument Trump is “not electable” doesn’t hold water with recent polling.

    But the memo is also notable in another respect: underscoring that Team Trump isn’t content to rest on its current lead but eager to keep attacking its main competitors. The memo bashes DeSantis’ Florida legislative session as a “bucket of cold water” for the governor.

    “On top of losing major financial backers and cratering poll numbers, the most memorable part of his legislative session is that he picked a fight with Disney and lost,” Budowich writes. “DeSantis invested tremendous political capital to pass a 6-week abortion ban — in contrast, President Trump maintains a strong pro-life record with exceptions for rape and incest.”

    The memo comes as DeSantis inches closer to making a presidential announcement and as Trump’s team is going after high dollar donors for support — some of whom have publicly wobbled on support for DeSantis or have put their donations on ice until they have a more clear picture of the field. The latest sign that the Florida governor plans to announce soon: DeSantis recently severed ties with his state-level PAC, which has a whopping $86 million, opening the door for that money to be transferred to a pro-DeSantis super PAC supporting his presidential ambitions.

    Last month, Never Back Down, the pro-DeSantis PAC, said it had raised $30 million. The PAC also plans to have staff in the first 18 states on the Republican nominating calendar, according to the AP.

    “While Governor DeSantis tallied up an impressive number of wins for the people of Florida this legislative session, Donald Trump offers the same old, pathetic attacks right out of Nancy Pelosi’s playbook to attempt to diminish the Governor’s conservative success story,” said Erin Perrine, the communications director for Never Back Down in a statement. “Donald Trump blamed the pro-life movement for his endorsed candidates’ losses in the 2022 midterm elections, and states like Trump’s real home, New York, have legalized infanticide up until birth. In Florida, Governor DeSantis has enacted historic measures to defend the dignity of human life and transform Florida into a pro-family state,” she added.

    At the end of 2022, MAGA Inc. reported $54.1 million on hand, and the PAC has spent millions on national cable ads taking direct aim at DeSantis’ record on Medicare and Social Security. The PAC also paid for an eyebrow raising ad that accused DeSantis of “sticking his fingers where they don’t belong” into entitlements. The ad was also a reference to a story about DeSantis using his fingers to eat chocolate pudding on an airplane.

    The MAGA Inc. memo, according to a PAC official, was being circulated on an individual basis Tuesday “to current, past, and targeted donors to MAGA Inc. and like-minded committees” as it “makes a strong push for unity as it looks towards the end for the quarter.”

    After a disappointing midterm election for Republicans, where some important primary races were split over Trump’s endorsement and involvement, the memo calls on donors to rally around one singular Republican candidate to best help 2024 down ballot candidates.

    “The 2024 cycle presents a promising opportunity for Republicans to realize massive gains in the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, and down ballot races across the nation. Unifying early and focusing our collective resources towards maximizing our gains can be the difference maker,” Budowich writes.

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    #Trump #world #donors #dollar #DeSantis #donation #Biden
    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

  • Biden makes first in-person appeal to donors for ’24 campaign

    Biden makes first in-person appeal to donors for ’24 campaign

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    “Here’s the bottom line. It’s very simple: We need you. Our democracy needs you because this is about our freedoms,” Biden told the jubilant crowd.

    But it’s unclear whether that energy has translated into material fundraising success — particularly when it comes to small-dollar donations. The campaign has not provided any clues about its early haul, as it did immediately after the launch in 2019. Back then, Biden faced a number of Democratic rivals, including many who released in real-time how much they had been raising for the campaign.

    There’s a sensitivity in the campaign that the early number could feed a negative narrative, according to a donor involved in the campaign. Some major donors have not yet been asked to give, according to that person.

    Biden did not become a fundraising juggernaut until he entered the general election and faced off against Donald Trump. While he bested the Democratic field over the first 24 hours, he struggled to keep pace with rivals like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who built large war chests on the strength of donors who signed up to regularly give small amounts. Biden’s standing greatly improved later in the primary process as rivals withdrew from the race amid poor showings and he consolidated their supporters.

    A campaign official maintained that the 2024 fundraising operation was well-positioned this cycle, and the Democratic National Committee had brought in $276 million for the midterms, a record for a midterm cycle. The campaign had already made a two-week, seven-figure ad buy that was running in six battleground states.

    The Friday night reception drew more than 100 Democratic donors and officials to the lavish Salamander hotel in D.C.’s Southwest Waterfront. Among the elected officials were Govs. Gavin Newsom of California, Wes Moore of Maryland, and Phil Murphy of New Jersey. The first Gen-Z congressmember, 26-year-old Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), also attended, as did several of Biden’s newly announced campaign co-chairs, including Jeffrey Katzenberg, a major Democratic fundraiser and the only co-chair who is not an elected official.

    As he left the White House on the gloomy Friday, a number of the members of Biden’s inner circle joined him en route, including counselor to the president, Steve Ricchetti, and senior adviser to the president, Mike Donilon.

    Biden declined to mention former President Donald Trump by name in his remarks to the crowd. Instead, he lambasted “MAGA Republicans … trying to take us backwards.”

    Attendees interviewed by POLITICO emphasized the energy in the room. Former Republican Rep. Jim Greenwood said the crowd gave Biden a standing ovation.

    “I think everybody in the room was watching to see if he made a single gaffe,” he said. “He didn’t.”

    Dick Harpootlian, a South Carolina state senator who bundled for Biden in 2020, said he thought most attendees seemed to believe that Trump would be the Republican nominee.

    “He’s a motivating factor,” he said. “The two sort of high-profile people are him and DeSantis, and that’s Trump and Trump-lite.”

    Christopher Cadelago contributed to this report.

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    #Biden #inperson #appeal #donors #campaign
    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

  • Trump makes play for DeSantis donors

    Trump makes play for DeSantis donors

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    The memo — which was equal parts a jab at DeSantis and an actual appeal for support — displays how the Trump campaign is seeking to capitalize on his current strength in polling ahead of the 2024 presidential primary. The former president has seen his rise in support among Republicans in recent weeks amid news of his indictment over allegations of involvement in a scheme to pay hush money to a porn actress during the 2016 presidential campaign.

    The email links to a donation page and to a three-page memo written by Trump campaign pollster John McLaughlin. McLaughlin summarizes recent surveys showing the former president with double-digit leads over DeSantis nationally and in New Hampshire, a key early nominating state.

    The indictment has proven to be a windfall for the Trump campaign, which through Wednesday has raised over $12 million since it emerged last week that the former president was facing charges, according to a person familiar with the totals. The person said that one-third of those who have given are first-time donors to Trump.

    But in its courtship of DeSantis contributors, it is clear, too, that the Trump campaign sees the risk that DeSantis poses to Trump’s path to the nomination, particularly in terms of his fundraising strength. The former governor has $90 million in leftover funds in his political committee, and he has in the past received the backing of GOP megadonors such as investor Ken Griffin, options trader Jeff Yass and private equity investor John Childs. In February, DeSantis held a donor retreat that drew a number of major givers, some of whom have previously backed Trump.

    And earlier this week, a super PAC that has been set up to support a potential DeSantis candidacy announced that it had raised $30 million.

    Trump himself is not exactly hurting for money. Though he has seen some of his past major donors express coolness toward his comeback bid, the former president still boasts a super PAC of his own that, as of the end of last year, had $54 million on hand. The group, MAGA Inc., has begun using the war chest to attack DeSantis.

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    #Trump #play #DeSantis #donors
    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

  • DeSantis’ pitch to New York donors: I’m not a chaos agent

    DeSantis’ pitch to New York donors: I’m not a chaos agent

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    In meetings with other wealthy businessmen, DeSantis has been even more explicit, portraying himself as an obvious choice for anyone frustrated by the former president Donald Trump’s legal troubles and antics.

    In the case of Lauder, DeSantis’ audience was well-chosen. The businessman has not been shy about his frustration with Trump, whom he backed in past races.

    Through a spokesperson, Lauder declined to comment.

    DeSantis’ spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

    “I’m no drama. I’m no chaos,” one New York businessman said in paraphrasing the pitch the Florida governor made to other well-heeled New Yorkers. “I’m calm, cool and collected. Very focused.”

    That businessman, who continues to support the former president and counts him as a friend, said DeSantis has reached out to New York real estate moguls who own property in Florida. To that end, both DeSantis and Trump attended the wedding of real estate investor Steve Witkoff’s son in Palm Beach last year.

    In meetings, DeSantis emphasizes his military background and his record of getting “points on the scoreboard” as governor of the increasingly Republican state, said the person — who was granted anonymity to share details of private discussions.

    “From what I’ve heard, he does not say President Trump is drama and chaos. He just says he’s not. So, what is that implying?” the person said.

    The message mirrors DeSantis’ comments in a recent interview with Fox Nation’s Piers Morgan, during which he questioned Trump’s style and said: “I have what it takes to be president and I can beat Biden.”

    The outreach by DeSantis provides a window into the early calculations he and his team have made as they ready themselves for a presidential run. The governor has made a name for himself castigating corporate America, while also leaning on top finance figures for financial support. His team sees New York donors as prime turf, not only for their deep pockets but also because many of them backed Trump out of convenience rather than a shared ideology with his MAGA base.

    “Governor DeSantis is a conservative who is widely viewed as being far more electable than Trump in a general election. Given that he has the conservative policy minus the baggage, minus the legal problems, it’s no surprise that he would find some success among New York’s most important conservative donors,” Jon Reinish, a Democratic political consultant, said in an interview.

    DeSantis, who plans to deliver remarks on Long Island Saturday evening, has recently been struggling with sagging poll numbers, news cycles dominated by Trump and an initial statement casting skepticism on support for the Ukraine war that disappointed some Republicans.

    Just how big a draw DeSantis is for the New York crowd could be revealed in upcoming filings of super PACs that are boosting his expected candidacy, including one chaired by former Trump official Ken Cuccinelli. A filing for that committee is expected next month.

    Interviews with six people across senior levels of Wall Street’s biggest banks revealed an intense desire for a GOP candidate who could deny Trump the nomination. While the finance industry appreciated Trump’s tax cuts — partially designed by former Goldman Sachs executive Gary Cohn during his time in Trump’s White House — they grew to loathe his protectionist trade policies, penchant for attacking individual companies and firing off market-shaking tweets. His unwillingness to forcefully condemn white nationalist groups further alienated him from the industry.

    “Look there is no question that some of what he did was good for us,” a top executive at one of America’s largest banks said on condition of anonymity so as not to draw Trump’s fire. “But he’s bad for America. And ultimately that’s bad for us. And most of our employees can’t stand him.”

    Ben White and Sam Sutton contributed to this report.

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    #DeSantis #pitch #York #donors #chaos #agent
    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

  • Democrats have a diverse bench waiting in the wings. They just need to pitch it to donors.

    Democrats have a diverse bench waiting in the wings. They just need to pitch it to donors.

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    For years, party insiders have stressed that the donor class is too focused on federal races, and the highest profile ones at that. The lack of attention paid to state contests has not only led to more conservative policy outcomes in the states, they warn, but less Democratic talent moving through the ranks.

    The DLGA’s pitch to donors and other party leaders is a bench-building one: Today’s lieutenant governors are tomorrow’s senators and governors. They also note that Democratic lieutenant governors best represent a party that increasingly relies on the support of non-white and women voters. Of the 25 Democratic second-in-commands, which includes states where the secretary of state fills that role, 14 are women and 12 are people of color.

    “It is the most diverse organization of elected officials in the country,” said Austin Davis, who was recently elected as Pennsylvania’s first Black lieutenant governor. “If you look at the number of lieutenant governors that elevate — whether to the U.S. Senate, whether it’s governor, whether it’s Congress — this is clearly a bench of folks who are going to be leading our party into the future.”

    The DLGA is looking to fashion itself as a training ground for up-and-coming Democrats, connecting them with donors and helping them build policy chops as they consider their political futures beyond their current role.

    “For a long time, I think the role of lieutenant governor was sort of in the background,” Peggy Flanagan, the Minnesota lieutenant governor who serves on the organization’s executive committee, said in an interview during a meeting of the organization in Washington this week.

    Two of Senate Democrats’ highest profile midterm recruits were lieutenant governors: Mandela Barnes, who narrowly lost in Wisconsin to incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson, and now-Sen. John Fetterman, who won a close contest in Pennsylvania against Trump recruit Mehmet Oz. And overall in 2022, four now-former lieutenant governors won election as their states’ chief executives, either winning a term outright or winning a full term of their own after previously assuming the governorship following a resignation.

    DLGA leadership says that it is eager to foster members’ future ambitions. Kevin Holst, who was recently named the committee’s executive director, noted that would-be donors can “form relationships early” with a “future rockstar in the party.”

    Holst said that, beyond putting LGs forth as key fundraisers, one particular area of focus would be turning the committee into a centralized services hub for current and aspiring lieutenant governors.

    “It’s a unique committee in which we are focused on electing more LGs, but we recognize that LG isn’t likely the endpoint for a lot of these elected officials,” he said. “Can we provide the fundraising support? … Can we help with press support? Can we help with profile building in their states?”

    Republicans also have a party committee focused on lieutenant governors, which is an arm of the Republican State Leadership Committee. The GOP version focuses on all down ballot races in states, including state legislator and secretary of state contests. The RSLC lieutenant governors’ website notes that “these experiences often prepare our lieutenant governors for higher office,” and that over a third of the country’s Republican governors were previously lieutenant governors.

    Two tests in the upcoming years for the DLGA will be North Carolina in 2024 and Virginia in 2025, states where the lieutenant governor is elected independently of the governor.

    The officeholders in both states are currently Republicans — and both are considered potential gubernatorial candidates in the upcoming cycle.

    Part of the impulse behind getting involved in these races is because Democrats lost an ultimately consequential race in North Carolina in 2020, a race the committee says it spent $1 million on. Now Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, a controversial and bombastic Republican in the state, is a likely candidate as Republicans look to flip the governorship next year.

    “LG was a race that many people didn’t pay attention to in 2020, and now it is biting us in the ass,” Holst said.

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    #Democrats #diverse #bench #waiting #wings #pitch #donors
    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

  • Republican 2024 rivals go shopping for big donors

    Republican 2024 rivals go shopping for big donors

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    The slate of donor events also neatly illustrates the current state of the nascent Republican primary: Trump and DeSantis are in a class of their own, while the rest of the burgeoning field is jostling to enter the top tier.

    Those involved in the planning for this week’s conferences describe the donor recruitment fight as intense and wide-open, with many Republican contributors — a large segment of whom are eager to move on from Trump — gravitating toward DeSantis but others still shopping around.

    “I think they’re like a lot of people,” Rove said of the roughly 350 donors and other guests expected at the Texas conference he has organized. “They might have someone who’s sort of a preliminary favorite, but they’re looking, and they want to see how they will perform.”

    The daylong conference will feature former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, among others. It is expected to draw a slate of mega-donors, with beer distribution executive John Nau, Omni Hotels owner Robert Rowling and real estate developer Harlan Crow are among those listed on the event invitation as co-hosts.

    Held at the 4,000-acre Omni Barton Creek Resort in Austin’s Hill Country, the meeting will be modeled after the same event Rove organized in May 2021, where members of the Texas congressional delegation interviewed would-be presidential hopefuls. Scott, who is Black, drew particular notice from donors for his performance during the 2021 event, when he spoke about his race and upbringing.

    As in 2021, candidates are jumping at the opportunity to attend the conference. Many of the co-hosts have long been part of Bush’s formidable donor network— a network that those seeking the GOP presidential nomination are eager to tap. Some candidates are expected to set up private meetings with influential givers during their visits.

    Trump’s Thursday evening event, meanwhile, will raise money for the principal super PAC supporting his candidacy, MAGA Inc. The organization started the year with $55 million in seed money, much of it transferred from Trump’s Save America PAC, which raised money over the last two years. But this week’s fundraiser will be MAGA Inc.’s first.

    According to recent filings, the super PAC has also received large contributions from several longtime Trump givers, including transportation company executive Timothy Mellon, banker Andy Beal and sanitation mogul Anthony Lomangino.

    Trump is now looking to further bolster the super PAC, which has begun using its substantial resources to hold focus groups aimed at testing out lines of attack against DeSantis and other rivals.

    Much of the attention, however, will be on DeSantis’ retreat, which is drawing donors, lawmakers and other supporters. According to a person familiar with the plans for the event, DeSantis is expected to discuss how he won a landslide 2022 reelection race and key planks of his agenda, including his ongoing fight with Disney, his decision to send planes of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., and his battle against what he has derided as “woke” liberals. The governor’s team will also give a data-focused briefing on the reelection win.

    DeSantis also held a political retreat last year that drew a number of prominent Republican figures, including now-Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a former Trump White House press secretary.

    Donors are focused on whether DeSantis, who is about to publish a new book and has been upping his national travel of late, uses this week’s event to drop any hints about his anticipated presidential bid. The retreat will also be scrutinized for which donors attend — including how many of them were once Trump backers who may be looking to defect from the former president to the Florida governor.

    The list of defectors includes Arizona donor Don Tapia, a retired electrical company executive who served as Trump’s ambassador to Jamaica. Tapia was a six-figure contributor to Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns — but said that he had decided to back DeSantis should he run in 2024.

    Tapia, who gave more than $50,000 to DeSantis’ reelection bid and hosted a pair of fundraisers for him, contended that donors had grown tired of Trump’s attacks on DeSantis and predicted that the retreat would “overwhelmingly” be attended by former Trump supporters.

    “The name-calling has turned a lot of people off,” Tapia said of Trump. “Let me tell you, we don’t like that.”

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    #Republican #rivals #shopping #big #donors
    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )