Haley raises $1.34m since Trump donor warning, but loses 2 prominent funders

WASHINGTON – Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s campaign said it had raised US$1 million (S$1.34 million) since Donald Trump issued a warning to her donors, even as at least two prominent benefactors of hers turned off the taps, saying

Trump was now the de facto party nominee.

Trump issued a threat to donors on Jan 24 night to stop funding Mrs Haley as he seeks to knock her out of the race before the next major primary race, in South Carolina on Feb 24.

Metals magnate Andy Sabin said in an interview that the Republican race was now essentially over, given that Mrs Haley had not been able to pull off

an upset in the New Hampshire primary on Jan 23.

“Haley needs to drop out,” Mr Sabin said late on Jan 24. “Regardless of what anyone tells you, her money is going to dry up. Why would you fund someone who you know has no chance?“

Trump’s back-to-back wins in the Iowa and New Hampshire contests have made his march to the Republican nomination almost certain as he looks ahead to a likely general election rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden in November, despite facing four criminal prosecutions.

Another major Haley donor, Mr Reid Hoffman, the billionaire co-founder of online business and employment platform LinkedIn, also does not plan to keep funding her campaign.

Mr Dmitri Mehlhorn, a Hoffman adviser, said in a statement to Reuters that Mrs Haley no longer had a path to the nomination.

“The only way I can see (a path) happening is if Trump has a ‘senior moment’, and she’s able to exploit it to persuade GOP voters that he’s lost it,” Mr Mehlhorn said.

CNBC was first to report that Mr Hoffman was not going to give any more money to Mrs Haley’s campaign.

Trump donor threat

Mrs Haley, Trump’s last surviving Republican rival, has vowed to carry on and has recently ramped up her attacks on Trump, triggering the warning to her donors from Trump on his social media account.

On the Truth Social app, Trump, who is furious at Mrs Haley for refusing to drop out, said anybody making a contribution to Mrs Haley would be “permanently barred” from his political orbit.

Mrs Haley responded on social media platform X with a link to donate to her campaign: “Well in that case… donate here. Let’s Go,” she wrote.

A Haley campaign spokesperson said the campaign had raised around US$1 million since the post, confirming an earlier report by The Hill.

Mrs Haley raised US$24.5 million between October and December, her campaign said earlier in January 2024.

Mr Dave Thul, a logistics manager in Minnesota who left the Republican Party in 2016 when Trump became its nominee, said in an interview that he donated US$100 to Mrs Haley after seeing Trump’s threat.

“I didn’t donate previously to Haley because she was kind of wishy-washy on her stance on Trump. She’s taken a different tone in the last couple of days,” Mr Thul said. “Her being in the race, and being directly antagonistic towards Trump, increases the possibility that he has more verbal gaffes or lashes out at her in manners that prompt a backlash.”

Threatening Mrs Haley’s donors is just one tactic Trump and his campaign are using to pressure the former South Carolina governor to quit.

Trump’s team has also been courting donors, urging them to support him and in at least one case promising one-on-one meetings with Trump at his Mar-A-Lago Florida estate.

Some Haley donors brushed off Trump’s threat.

“Whatever,” said Mr Eric Levine, a New York litigator.

“He sounds desperate,” said venture capitalist Tim Draper.

Retail businessman Art Pope said he was still backing Mrs Haley’s bid.

Mr Sabin said Trump’s threat shows that he is a “nasty” person. “It just does more harm,” he added.

Still, negative headlines about donors dropping Mrs Haley could dent her momentum and ability to keep raising funds to sustain her campaign. REUTERS