A key GOP donor is dumping former President Donald Trump for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) in 2024.
Hal Lambert, who founded Point Bridge Capital, which oversees the "MAGA ETF," contended that Trump faces an uphill battle to win over voters who didn't go for him in 2020 and that DeSantis has a strong conservative track record.
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“I’m in for DeSantis this time. I plan to do a lot to help DeSantis win,” Lambert told the New York Post. “What voters who didn’t vote for Trump in 2020 are going to vote for him this time based on his performance? I don’t think anyone will."
“DeSantis is a leader who knows how to govern, not just have news headlines and slogans,” Lambert added.
Point Bridge Capital debuted the "MAGA ETF" in 2017 in a nod to Trump's famous "Make America Great Again" slogan. Lambert was part of Trump's inaugural committee in 2016. The change of heart was solidified after he dined with DeSantis and his wife Casey roughly three weeks ago, according to the interview.
DeSantis has consistently polled as Trump's most formidable rival in the 2024 GOP primary. The governor is rumored to file paperwork to run within the coming days, according to multiple reports.
Lambert acknowledged DeSantis faces a fierce "battle" against the former president but underscored that DeSantis should "not alienate Trump’s voters." Lambert further surmised that the race will get closer after DeSantis enters it.
“We can’t talk about things from four years ago that can’t be changed,” Lambert added. “Trump is going to have a difficult time winning the general election. The election won’t be about Joe Biden’s bad record. It will be a referendum on Trump instead.”
DeSantis has managed to charm numerous deep-pocketed donors ahead of his 2024 decision. Over recent weeks, multiple media reports highlighted some donors who soured on DeSantis, such as hedge fund executive and billionaire Kenneth Griffin. But DeSantis's team pointed to Lambert's stamp of approval to rebut that narrative.
"Much to the media’s chagrin, this proves that donors continue to be impressed by Gov. DeSantis and support him in bringing his successes to the national stage. Clearly, the media’s shared talking points for that narrative were yet again backed by nothing but their agenda," DeSantis political team press secretary Bryan Griffin said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
Another donor who has backed DeSantis, hotel mogul and aeronautics executive Robert Bigelow, has doled out tens of millions of dollars to benefit him this election cycle already.
“I will give him more money and go without food,” Bigelow said, according to Time.
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Of the declared 2024 GOP hopefuls, Trump is still the reigning king in the campaign circuit. Last quarter, his campaign and allied organizations pulled in nearly $19 million and pulled in another $15.4 million in the two weeks that followed, seemingly boosted by news of his indictment, according to figures from his campaign.
The Washington Examiner contacted a representative for Lambert as well as the Trump campaign for comment.