Billionaire Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, who previously said the U.S. would be "well-served" with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as president, now "continues to assess the field," according to a spokesperson.
Griffin told Politico in November that "it's time" for Republicans "to move on" from former President Donald Trump and expressed his sentiment for DeSantis.
Now, with Trump far ahead in GOP primary polling, spokesperson Zia Ahmed said Griffin "continues to access the field” while adding that "nothing's changed," CNBC reported.
Ahmed denied that Griffin, a hedge fund manager, is concerned about DeSantis' position in public polling.
"He has a tremendous record as governor of Florida, and our country would be well-served by him as president," Griffin told Politico in November.
The New York Times reported in April that Griffin was still evaluating the GOP primary field, and that his spokesman declined to say what Griffin thought about the presidential race.
Griffin, 54, gave $5 million toward DeSantis' successful run for reelection in Florida last year, when Griffin donated more than $100 million mainly to Republicans running for state and federal races.
Griffin wouldn't be the only donor questioning his support for DeSantis.
Rolling Stone reported that media mogul Rupert Murdoch, whose family owns Fox News, has been "voicing his doubts and frustrations" about DeSantis "in private discussions and calls."
CNBC reported that several donors have told fundraisers about their worries concerning DeSantis. The uneasiness pertains to Trump's seemingly insurmountable lead not just in the polls but also in congressional endorsements.
CNBC said it's unclear if Griffin has donated to pro-DeSantis entities such as Never Back Down, a super PAC.
DeSantis received $20 million in donations since officially entering the presidential race in May. His spokesperson, Andrew Romeo, told CNBC that "challenging the establishment is never easy."
"You could wallpaper the governor's residence with the amount of premature political obituaries written about Ron DeSantis. Challenging the establishment is never easy — and this campaign to save our nation is going to be a long, hard-fought battle to defeat Joe Biden," Romeo said.
"We are building an organization that will go the distance. Ron DeSantis is putting in the work to win, and as voters across the country continue to learn about his forward-looking plans to reverse Biden's failures, he will earn the nomination."
The Republican primary field also includes former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
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