Top GOP Donor Puts DeSantis Support ‘on Hold’ Over Abortion

The political toxicity of the abortion issue for conservatives is rearing its head once again, including one large Republican donor who is reportedly pocketing his support for Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“I have put myself on hold, because of his stance on abortion and book banning,” Hungarian-born American billionaire Thomas Peterffy, founder and chairman of Interactive Brokers, told Financial Times.

“Myself, and a bunch of friends, are holding our powder dry.”

The remarks come just days after DeSantis signed a law to move the Florida abortion restriction from 15 weeks to 6 weeks, albeit providing for some exceptions. Democrats have long sought to force the abortion issue to keep votes away from social conservatives.

“The Republicans have a very big problem,” Peterffy said of the abortion issue.

It appears to have worked in defunding DeSantis, at least in the case of Peterffy, whose net worth is estimated by Forbes to be $26 billion.

“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,” Peterffy told FT.

Peterffy had supported former President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, but has vowed not to support Trump in 2024, admittedly eyeing DeSantis for his big dollars as he was “looking forward.”

But, Peterffy told FT, “DeSantis seems to have lost some momentum.

“I am more reluctant to back him,” he continued.

While Peterffy is wary of DeSantis on abortion and social issues, he is supportive of the work to decouple Disney from Florida political influence.

“I think it’s insane that a company would take a stand on gender issues,” Peterffy told FT.

The report comes as Republicans held an exclusive donor event in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday night. Trump was the keynote speaker. DeSantis did not attend, but former Vice President Mike Pence and anti-Trump Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu did, showing it was not an all pro-Trump event, The Washington Post reported.

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