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Donors Start To Flee From Nikki Haley After Her New Hampshire Loss

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  • Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley appears to be losing donors after she lost the New Hampshire primary to former President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
  • Billionaire Reid Hoffman and metal magnate Andy Sabin are reportedly cutting off Haley’s presidential bid, and others are starting to consider whether to continue financially supporting the former ambassador’s efforts, according to multiple outlets.
  • “The anti-Trump wing of the Republican party, and a few turncoat Democrats, are now just sobering up to the fact that Donald Trump is going to be the nominee,” Mark Weaver, a veteran Republican strategist, told the DCNF.

Donors of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s presidential bid are beginning to cut her off after she lost to former President Donald Trump in New Hampshire on Tuesday by 11 points, multiple outlets reported.

Trump beat Haley 54.3% to 43.3% in the Granite State just over a week after the former ambassador came in third in the Iowa caucus. Billionaire Reid Hoffman and metal magnate Andy Sabin are reportedly halting their financial support to Haley’s efforts after her loss in New Hampshire, while other donors are weighing whether to continue contributing, according to several outlets.

“The true fight for the Republican nomination is over,” Mike Dennehy, a veteran New Hampshire GOP strategist, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “These high level GOP donors know that New Hampshire was Haley’s best chance to score an upset and the idea that she can now go to win SC on the heels of three losses is simply illogical. The last thing these donors want is to be shut out of the White House by continuing to support a futile effort.”

Hoffman, who has said he believed Haley had the best shot at beating Trump for the GOP nomination, is not planning on donating to Haley’s campaign any longer, a source familiar with the decision told CNBC. The LinkedIn co-founder donated $250,000 to SFA Fund Inc., the super political action committee supporting Haley’s 2024 bid, according to The New York Times.

The billionaire is a major Democratic donor who supports President Joe Biden and numerous other anti-Trump candidates and efforts, the NYT reported.

Sabin, who previously supported South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, told The Washington Post that he won’t be financially supporting Haley’s campaign going forward. The donor previously told Fox Business that Haley had to win the Granite State in order to remain competitive against Trump.

While the metal magnate won’t contribute to the former president’s campaign, he told the Post that he will now “do everything I can to get him elected.”

“Contrary to the false narrative being pushed by talking heads on cable news, Nikki Haley has the will and the resources to stay in this fight for the long haul,” AnnMarie Graham-Barnes, spokesperson for the Haley campaign, told the DCNF. “She raised more than $1 million from small dollar donors in the 24 hours after her speech in New Hampshire and the contributions are continuing to rush in. Nikki’s momentum is real and she’s in it to win it.”

Additionally, other prominent GOP donors will gather at two conferences in the coming days to consider whether they should continue financially supporting Haley’s efforts after her two-loss record to Trump, according to Puck News.

The Koch network is hosting an event on Friday in California, and the American Opportunity Alliance will hold its gathering a few days later in Florida where GOP billionaires Paul Singer and Ken Griffith are set to attend, the outlet reported. On Thursday, Kathy Crow, the wife of American Opportunity Alliance member Harlan Crow, will host a meeting of wealthy women that is sponsored by Haley’s campaign.

“The anti-Trump wing of the Republican party, and a few turncoat Democrats, are now just sobering up to the fact that Donald Trump is going to be the nominee,” Mark Weaver, a veteran Republican strategist, told the DCNF. “Nikki Haley will be just another also ran. They put their money out there on a big bet that Trump could be beaten, and they lost that bet big time.”

Trump launched various attacks at Haley in a Truth Social post Wednesday evening and threatened those who continue to donate to her campaign.

“Anybody that makes a ‘Contribution’ to Birdbrain, from this moment forth, will be permanently barred from the MAGA camp,” Trump wrote. “We don’t want them, and will not accept them, because we Put America First, and ALWAYS WILL!”

Haley maintains that she will stay in the race for South Carolina and beyond, telling the audience at her watch party Tuesday that “this race is far from over.” While the former ambassador isn’t competing for delegates in the next nominating contest, the Feb. 8 Nevada caucus, she is hoping for a big turnout in her home state on Feb. 24.

The RealClearPolitics average for a 2024 South Carolina primary, based on polls conducted between Oct. 18 and Jan. 3, indicates Trump is leading Haley 52% to nearly 22% in the Palmetto State.

Haley’s campaign did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.

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