GOP Donors 'Moving Away' From Trump; DeSantis, Pence Get Support For 2024 Election

Some of the Republican Party’s biggest donors are now turning away from former President Donald Trump as the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot reveals damaging new information about his role in the attack.

Financiers and their advisors who had been funding Republican campaigns have had private meetings since the House Select Committee began holding public hearings in early June. In the meetings, the donors discussed who they are going to support in the 2024 elections. However, Trump’s name was not often brought up as a potential presidential nominee, top GOP fundraisers who attended the meetings told CNBC.

Interest is now shifting toward other possible 2024 GOP presidential candidates, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla.; former Vice President Mike Pence; Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C.; and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. None of them have announced a formal bid for 2024.

News about Trump’s dimming prospects with GOP donors comes after the House Select Committee on Tuesday reconvened for a hastily scheduled hearing. During the public hearing, the panel called surprise witness Cassidy Hutchinson. Hutchinson recalled how Trump continued to rile up his supporters to interfere with the certifying of Joe Biden’s victory despite being warned of the potential for violence.

Hutchinson, who previously served as a top aide to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, also said Trump was unhappy after he saw unfilled spaces on the Ellipse — an open grassy area near the White House where he gave his speech the morning of the Capitol riot.

Aides later explained to Trump that some people were not allowed to enter the field because they were armed and refused to have their weapons confiscated by Secret Service agents.

“You know, I don’t f**king care that they have weapons. They’re not here to hurt me. Take the f**king mags [magnetometers] away. Let my people in,” Trump replied, according to Hutchinson.

Trump later encouraged the same crowd to march to the Capitol while lawmakers were confirming Biden’s electoral college votes. Many of his supporters entered the Capitol carrying knives, tasers and a few guns. Five people died in the riot.