Big Republican Donor ‘And a Bunch of Friends’ Back Off DeSantis Over Culture War Politics: ‘Very Big Problem’

Businessman and Republican donor Thomas Peterffy said he is, along with a “bunch” of his friends, putting a pause on supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for for president following this week’s signing into law of Florida’s Heartbeat Heartbeat Protection Act.

The Hungarian-born billionaire told the Financial Times that DeSantis has lost some “momentum,” making him “reluctant” to commit to the not as yet declared contender for the 2024 primary nomination.

“I am more reluctant to back him. We are waiting to see who among the primary candidates is most likely to be able to win the general, and then put all of our firepower behind them,” said Petterfy, who cited among his concerns the Republican governor’s support for socially conservative policies on abortion and education, which the Financial Times described as “extreme.”

“Because of his stance on abortion and book banning . . . myself, and a bunch of friends, are holding our powder dry,” the article quotes Petterfy saying.

The comments quickly prompted a multitude of media articles and Twitter takes, including one from Maggie Haberman of the New York Times who tweeted with portentous gravity that the “major” donor has “finally” gone “on record” with news that was previously only a “whisper.”

“Donors are getting worried,” she said in the reveal.

The implication, a dead-on match for the press’s own opining, is that in not supporting Democrat or progressive views on social issues, a politician is dooming their electoral prospects.

Peterffy has also already said that Trump can’t win the next election.

Back in 2015, Peterffy said that Sen. Ted Cruz was “probably the smartest person running” in the Republican primary and that, “even though personally I do not believe that abortion is something that should be prohibited and I do not believe we should not care about the environment, nevertheless I think Ted has the qualities – he definitely has a shot,” though he had not at the time made up his mind who to support.

Peterffy did eventually back Trump against Hillary Clinton.

If DeSantis continues with education policies that result in some material being deemed age-inappropriate in schools, and keeps signing into law bills passed by the duly elected Florida legislature, “the Republicans have a very big problem,” according to the Financial Times, Haberman, and frequent NBC guest Peterffy.