Top Democrat donor gives $250,000 to Nikki Haley campaign
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A Democratic mega donor has put $250,000 (£214,259) behind Nikki Haley’s bid to challenge Donald Trump for the Republican nomination in 2024.
Reid Hoffman, the billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn, recently gifted the funds to Stand For America (SFA), a political group backing Ms Haley.
Dmitri Mehlhorn, a political adviser to Mr Hoffman, confirmed the donation, which was first reported by the New York Times.
Mr Hoffman joins several other billionaire Democrat donors who have suggested Ms Haley offers the best shot at fending off Mr Trump.
They include Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JP Morgan Chase, and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman.
“Even if you’re a very liberal Democrat, I urge you, help Nikki Haley too,” Mr Dimon told a conference of global business leaders last week.
He added: “Get a choice on the Republican side that might be better than Trump.”
‘Republican, independent or Democrat, we’re going to take them’
The 77-year-old former president remains the Republican frontrunner, but Ms Haley is in second place in at least two key early states and is the only challenger with upward momentum.
While the support of a top Democratic donor risks a backlash, it comes at a critical juncture, just weeks before the Republican primary kicks off in Iowa on Jan 15.
Ms Haley’s opponents were quick to highlight the donation, although the former South Carolina governor has made no secret of courting independents and even Democrats.
“Whether they’re Republican, independent or Democrat, we’re going to take them,” she told Fox News, warning the GOP against isolating potential voting groups.
A spokesman for Ron DeSantis’ campaign said: “It’s no wonder why Democrat mega-donors and Wall Street CEOs are donating to Nikki Haley – they know she’s a liberal who will do their bidding.”
Mr Trump’s team has already labelled the intervention by Wall Street’s biggest players as an “unholy alliance” of “globalist special interest donors from both parties’’.
He called on his grassroots donors “to fight back” in a recent fundraising email.
News of Mr Hoffman’s donation emerged on the eve of the fourth Republican primary debate, the last three of which have boosted Ms Haley, both financially and in media coverage.
The 51-year-old has levelled with Mr DeSantis in the polls after her strong debate performances, and Mr Trump has taken to attacking her under the nickname “birdbrain”, underscoring her perceived threat.
Republican strategist Dennis Lennox speculated Mr Hoffman’s donation could be a “case of dirty tricks by Democrats meddling in the Republican sandbox”.
“If the cheque cashes, great – money is money – but this type of support plays right into the hands of critics,” he said.
However, Mr Hoffman’s donation comes amid growing Democratic anxiety over the 81-year-old Mr Biden’s electability.
Mr Ackman, a longtime supporter of Democratic campaigns, recently called on Mr Biden to “step aside” in 2024, saying the president was “past his prime”.
“I’m much more open to Republican candidates than I am to re-electing President Biden,” Mr Ackman told Bloomberg, adding he was “supportive” of Ms Haley.
