A day after Donald Trump announced his third bid for the presidency, he faced public distancing from billionaire supporters and vicious trolling from a once-friendly New York tabloid — underscoring his first challenges in returning to politics nearly two years after the divisive end. of. presidency.
Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of private equity firm Blackstone and a one-time Trump ally, announced Wednesday that he would not support Trump’s bid for the Republican nomination, saying it was time “for the Republican party to turn to a new generation of leaders. ”
A spokesman for another supporter of the billionaire — cosmetics heir Ronald Lauder — confirmed to CNN on Wednesday that Lauder would not support Trump’s bid to become only the second US president to serve two non-consecutive terms.
And in another sign that the once-supportive conservative media empire controlled by Rupert Murdoch has distanced itself from Trump, the New York Post on Wednesday concluded its story on his campaign announcement with the brutal headline, “You Were there, Don That’. (By contrast, a Post headline last week heralded Florida Gov. Ron DeSandis as “DeFuture,” after the Republican swept to a second term.)
The withdrawal of some sponsors shows that some of the party’s elite are open to alternatives two years before the next presidential election. Trump, who has relied on a base of small donors to fuel his political ambitions, remains a formidable fundraising force. In an unprecedented move, he never stopped raising money after leaving the White House, and his series of political committees have amassed more than $100 million in cash.
Trump is the first major Republican candidate to announce his candidacy. Over the weekend, DeSantis — a potential challenger for the nomination — is set to address one of the GOP’s most influential donor groups when he delivers a speech at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual gala dinner. Former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, another Republican considered a possible presidential contender, is also scheduled to speak at Saturday night’s event in Las Vegas.
Trump remains a “big player” in Republican politics and has won praise from coalition members for his steadfast support for Israel, said Matthew Brooks, RJC’s executive director.
But “people are window shopping right now,” Brooks added. “There are people asking if we need a new direction and a new face.”
Brooks said Trump was invited to the RJC gathering but had a scheduling conflict.
CNN has reached out to Trump aides for comment.
Schwartzman’s retreat from Trump is particularly significant because he is one of the biggest donors to Republican politics and contributed $3 million in 2020 to a super PAC supporting Trump’s unsuccessful re-election campaign.
In the midterm elections alone, Schwarzman donated more than $35 million to Republican candidates and groups active in federal elections, according to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit group that tracks political money.
“America does best when its leaders are rooted in today and tomorrow, not today and yesterday,” Schwartzman said in the statement, first reported by Axios. Schwarzman said he would support one of the GOP’s “new generation of leaders,” but did not say who he was considering supporting.
Another Republican major donor, Ken Griffin of Citadel, recently said he would support DeSantis in 2024 if the Florida governor seeks the GOP nomination.
Lauder, a longtime Trump friend and financial backer of Republican candidates and demands, has not indicated who would win his endorsement.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
