DeSantis donors privately worry about campaign as Florida governor lags in 2024 polls

A growing group of donors who have supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ run for president are worried about the trajectory of his campaign, even after he raked in $20 million since entering the race in May.

Despite those big fundraising numbers and his entry into the race on a wave of hype, DeSantis is lagging well behind frontrunner Donald Trump in polls. The Murdoch family, led by conservative Fox Corp. and News Corp. mogul Rupert Murdoch, reportedly is souring on DeSantis. And as concerns for DeSantis mount across the board, several donors have told fundraisers about their worries, according to people familiar with the matter.

Some donors are worried the polls indicate DeSantis has to climb a potentially insurmountable hill to overtake Trump, these people said. They’re also worried that Trump has a huge lead over DeSantis when it comes to Republican congressional endorsements. DeSantis represented Florida in the House before he won the governor’s office.

Many of the people declined to be identified in this story in order to speak freely about private conversations.

One megadonor, Ken Griffin, “continues to assess the field,” according to a spokesperson for the billionaire Citadel CEO, referring to the GOP primary lineup. Former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina are among the other contenders.

“Nothing’s changed” in Griffin’s stance toward the election, said the spokesperson, Zia Ahmed, who also denied that the Citadel CEO is concerned about DeSantis’ position in public polling.

Griffin had told Politico in November that he was prepared to back DeSantis if he ran for president. “He has a tremendous record as governor of Florida, and our country would be well-served by him as president,” Griffin…