GOP mega-donor pauses plans to back DeSantis over social issues

A top Republican mega-donor says he is holding off on financially backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) ahead of his widely expected presidential bid, citing his policies on a number of social issues in the state.

“Because of his stance on abortion and book banning … myself, and a bunch of friends, are holding our powder dry,” Thomas Peterffy, a billionaire businessman who is a notable GOP donor, told the Financial Times.

The businessman previously backed DeSantis’s 2018 gubernatorial campaign, and the Financial Times reported Peterffy said earlier this year he was looking forward to supporting a White House campaign from DeSantis.

Peterffy backed former President Trump in the 2020 election but has since suggested the party move on from Trump.

DeSantis, who is widely expected to launch a 2024 White House bid, has honed in on social issues as his standing in the party has skyrocketed over the last year, propelling him near the top of the field of potential GOP presidential candidates.

Last week, DeSantis signed a six-week abortion ban in the state. He has also latched onto educational issues, including signing a bill that requires all books in Florida schools to be reviewed by a school district employee.

DeSantis won reelection to a second term by nearly 20 points in November, with many pointing to him as a main rival to Trump for the 2024 GOP nomination. The focus on social issues, including publicly clashing with Disney, has helped raise DeSantis’s profile.

While DeSantis has yet to launch a presidential bid officially, he has kept a packed travel schedule in recent weeks, visiting key and early nominating states in the Republican primary process.

But Peterffy said if DeSantis continues to cater to the far right of the Republican Party on social issues, “the Republicans have a very big problem.”

Peterffy has contributed millions to congressional Republicans and has a net worth of about $26 billion, according to Forbes.