Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign has criticized GOP primary opponent Nikki Haley in response to reports that a liberal billionaire, Reid Hoffman, has endorsed her presidential candidacy with a $250,000 donation to her super PAC. Bryan Griffin, the press secretary for DeSantis for President, stated on Tuesday, “It makes perfect sense that liberal Democrat billionaires would support Nikki Haley’s bid for the White House because she is a liberal.” Griffin pointed to The New York Times report revealing Hoffman’s donation to the Haley-aligned PAC and expressed concerns about Haley’s policy positions.
According to Griffin, Haley’s potential presidency would involve allowing corporations to influence immigration policy, being lenient towards China, increasing taxes on hardworking Americans, and imposing government registration for social media users. The DeSantis campaign sees itself as the conservative standard-bearer in the GOP primary, positioning DeSantis as the candidate who will stand against the “swamp,” with Haley being a part of it.
The Times also highlighted that Hoffman is known for supporting anti-Trump candidates and causes, adding another layer to the ongoing battle between DeSantis and Haley for the anti-Trump GOP primary vote. Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase and a never-Trumper, was mentioned as having encouraged Democrats to support Haley in the primary.
Dmitri Mehlhorn, a political adviser to Hoffman, confirmed to the Times that the $250,000 donation had been accepted by the pro-Haley super PAC, SFA Fund Inc. However, the PAC did not provide any comments to The New York Times. Hoffman’s past involvement in anti-Trump causes, including supporting E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit against Trump, alleging defamation related to a rape allegation, was also highlighted in the report.