Former President Donald Trump is intensifying his campaign efforts following two primary season victories, according to a source familiar with the matter. The former president is reportedly courting potential megadonors with personal calls, motorcade rides, and meals at his private Mar-a-Lago club.
Among those who have recently spent time with Trump are casino magnate Steve Wynn, aerospace tycoon Robert Bigelow, and Las Vegas businessman Don Ahern. The trio joined Trump during his recent Nevada campaign event. Additionally, a group of major donors is anticipated to dine with Trump at a private fundraiser in Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump has reportedly secured financial commitments from several high-profile donors, including Ahern and Bigelow, who previously donated $20 million to the super PAC supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential bid. The former president also met with GOP megadonor Rebekah Mercer last year, whose family’s financial support played a crucial role in his 2016 presidential victory.
Despite some Republican donors publicly stating it was time to move on from Trump following his 2020 loss, the events of January 6, 2021, and the mediocre results for Trump-backed candidates in the 2022 midterm elections, several high-dollar financiers are now rallying behind him. However, others have shifted their support to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who previously backed DeSantis.
Meanwhile, Haley, Trump’s last significant rival for the GOP nomination, has also launched a major fundraising push. She is scheduled to hold at least 13 money-raising events across the country ahead of the South Carolina primary next month. Despite her support from Americans for Prosperity Action, Trump’s campaign managers argue that she has no path to the Republican nomination.
As the battle for the GOP nomination heats up, several conservative outside groups and donors opposed to Trump’s candidacy have stated they need to redouble their efforts to help Republicans win the Senate and hold the House in November. Among them is Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, who donated $5 million to a super PAC supporting Haley’s candidacy in January.
Haley, on her part, is working to secure the resources to finance her bid to stop Trump through the South Carolina primary on February 24 and possibly on to Super Tuesday on March 5. She recently appeared at a fundraiser in New York co-hosted by several Wall Street billionaires, where she expressed her desire to “make America normal again.”
Despite her recent losses to Trump, Haley’s supporters remain unfazed. Eric Levine, a staunch Haley supporter, described the energy at the fundraiser as “electric” and expressed his belief that Haley’s path “is to stay in it accumulate as many delegates as possible.”
Trump’s recent threat to “permanently bar” those who continue to donate to Haley has reportedly angered some of her donors and boosted her fundraising efforts. Haley’s campaign officials say she has raised $4 million online since her second-place finish in the New Hampshire primary.
On Tuesday, Haley reaffirmed her commitment to staying in the race, expressing optimism that she will be able to close the gap between her and Trump before the South Carolina primary. “We’ve got a month until the election,” she said during an interview with CBS News. “In New Hampshire, I moved 25 points in three weeks. We are anywhere and everywhere in South Carolina. … People are starting to show up because now they’re ready to start paying attention.”
This story has been updated with additional information. CNN’s Ebony Davis contributed to this report.