Billionaire donor alliance to host DeSantis-Haley faceoff for support in October

An alliance of billionaire Republican donors is hosting the presidential campaigns of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley for an October event where they will vie for consolidated monetary support as the alternative to former President Donald Trump in the 2024 Republican primary.

DeSantis’s campaign confirmed to the Washington Examiner that the American Opportunity Alliance, established by billionaire Paul Singer, invited it to the Oct. 13 meeting in Dallas.

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The event is being coordinated by Singer, along with fellow Republican megadonors Ken Griffin and Harlan Crow, per reports. The Washington Examiner contacted Singer, Griffin, and Crow for comment.

According to reports, neither DeSantis nor Haley themselves will be at the meeting. Instead, advisers to their campaigns will pitch to the wealthy donors, some of whom have already put some support behind one of the candidates. Another possible complication, according to the New York Times, is the anticipated presence of two people linked to the former president: former Trump adviser and America First Policy Institute President and CEO Brooke Rollins and former Trump-appointed U.S. Administrator of the Small Business Administration Linda McMahon.

DeSantis has long been the second-place contender to Trump in most polls despite being significantly behind the former president. However, after having a strong first debate performance and impressing voters, Haley has risen in several key polls and is getting looks as the possible Trump alternative.

The October donor meeting signals that wealthy Republicans now see the race for the non-Trump option as a battle between DeSantis and Haley.

In Wednesday’s second Republican debate, viewers felt that DeSantis was the top performer, with one-third of people saying so. He was followed by Haley, whom 18% said performed the best, per the FiveThirtyEight / Washington Post / Ipsos poll.

DeSantis’s primary polling stature has weakened considerably since November 2022, before he entered the 2024 race. Declines in his polling numbers were preceded by reports of turmoil in his campaign. However, his team maintains that national polling is not an accurate depiction of the race as it stands, and he is banking on a strong performance in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation Republican caucuses.

Conversely, Haley has seen an upward trend in polling, surpassing DeSantis for second in the key state of New Hampshire. Furthermore, Haley showed promising poll numbers against President Joe Biden, performing better than her Republican competitors in a recent CNN poll.

In a statement to the Washington Examiner, DeSantis’s Communications Director Andrew Romeo said: “This remains a two-person race. Ron DeSantis is the only candidate who can stop Donald Trump in Iowa and beyond. But don’t just take our word for it: The continuing actions of the Trump campaign confirm they know what we know — that it is a choice of Ron DeSantis or Donald Trump for our party’s nomination.”

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Trump continues to lead the Republican primary field by double digits, with the support of more than half of likely Republican primary voters, 58%, per Morning Consult. Additionally, the former president’s lead grew following the first Republican debate.

As the primary campaign intensifies, donors are looking to consolidate their support quickly behind a viable Trump alternative.