According to POLITICO, wealthy donors who might have contributed to efforts blocking Donald Trump from the 2016 presidential nomination are backing off because of Trump’s apparent inevitability and his penchant for threatening opponents.
One source told Politico that the Koch brothers are opting out of such an action; Karl Rove’s Crossroads has been attacking Democrats instead.
Not only is Trump’s apparent inevitability a problem, but Trump has shown a willingness to threaten donors against him, as evidenced by his threat against Marlene Ricketts, tweeting that her family “better be careful, they have a lot to hide!”
A third concern for donors is that Trump could use their efforts to reinforce the notion that he is running against the establishment.
GOP operative Katie Packer, who heads the anti-Trump Our Principles PAC, acknowledged, “People weren’t sure he was a real threat ― they thought nobody was attacking him so he must not be … people are starting to change their tune,” she said.
Ricketts gave Packer $3 million from Ricketts; Packer’s PAC also gathered over $1 million this month. Although her PAC has received more support after Trump’s win in South Carolina, Packer admitted it is getting increasingly difficult to find support.
The Club for Growth, also trying to block Trump, garnered a new big donor in January, but others have apparently shown reluctance to offer help. Trump even threatened to sue them.
GOP strategist Liz Mair of the Make America Awesome super PAC, which has targeted Trump, said some donors are simply afraid of Trump. She said, “We would totally donate to you if we could do it anonymously; we’re worried about Trump taking reprisals against us for donating to this. Suffice to say, there are a lot of people out there who want to stop Trump and are willing to donate to do it. They’re just the rank and file of the base, not the establishment donors.”
One analysis showed that the super PACs that supported rival candidates had raised a combined $320 million through the end of January, but only $2.1 million was spent attacking Trump.