Ron DeSantis’s lack of personality is now costing him GOP sugar daddies: Report

VANITY FAIR

Just a few short months ago, Ron DeSantis was being hailed as the future of the Republican Party and the man who would represent the GOP in next year’s presidential general election after knocking off Donald Trump. Then people got to know him, and realized he’s an unlikable jerk* with no personality, and his prospects of making it to the White House very quickly plummeted. Referring to DeSantis’s extremely bad national polling numbers, a spokesman for a DeSantis-aligned super PAC said earlier this month, “I believe in being really blunt and really honest. It’s an uphill battle.” And it’s not just would-be voters who’ve soured on the candidate—it’s rich billionaires too.

On Wednesday, Rolling Stone published a scathing article reporting that Rupert Murdoch has started to sour on the Florida governor, with one source telling the outlet that the Australian billionaire and his son Lachlan “can smell a loser a mile away.” Notably, this comes after Murdoch’s media empire fanned out following the November midterms to send the message that Trump was GOP roadkill and DeSantis was the new king of the party. And the Murdochs apparently aren’t the only rich guys experiencing buyer’s remorse.

Politico reports that “some wealthy donors who’d hoped [DeSantis] could beat Donald Trump are now giving Tim Scott a serious look.” One of those donors is reportedly Ronald Lauder, the Estée Lauder heir who backed Trump in 2020 and—according to three sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Politico—recently flew down to South Carolina to meet with Scott. Lauder is said to have plans to meet with the junior senator again “as he decides whether to cut him a check.” Billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller has reportedly also “expressed interest” in donating to Scott’s White House bid. “A lot of donors that I’ve met are all curious and want to meet Tim and see what he’s about,” Andy Sabin, a Republican contributor who was originally planning to support DeSantis, told Politico. “He’s the one guy running who’s got some personality and charisma. His delivery is terrific.”

And even if they don’t end up backing Scott, many a wealthy Republican is apparently now playing the field after previously appearing to be a lock for DeSantis. “The major donors are still open and are still looking,” one Republican with knowledge of the matter told Politico. “They originally were with DeSantis. They’re looking for other options and Tim Scott right now is probably their top target.” As CNBC reported on Wednesday, hedge fund billionaire and GOP mega-donor Ken Griffin, who said in November he would back DeSantis if the governor ran for president, is now “assess[ing]” the field, according to his spokesman. (The representative simultaneously insisted, “Nothing’s changed.”)

For his part, DeSantis insists that he still has a solid chance of making it to the White House and that the idea that his campaign is in trouble is fiction created by the media:

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The governor has not directly commented on the fact that he is behind Trump by nearly 30 points.

*Yes, it’s very odd that the Florida governor has lost serious ground to Trump for being a jerk, given that Trump is an infamous jerk—but for some reason people believe that DeSantis is an even bigger a–hole. Which is saying something!

The post Ron DeSantis’s Lack of Personality Is Now Costing Him GOP Sugar Daddies: Report appeared first on Vanity Fair.