Billionaire Ken Langone plans to meet with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley next week, becoming the latest prominent Republican donor to publicly weigh backing her White House bid.
Langone, a Home Depot co-founder, said he has not decided whether to throw his financial support behind Haley in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, but said he’s impressed with the “spunk” she’s shown in her campaign and her “reasonable” stance on abortion.
“Two things that appeal to me is that she’s a fighter, and she’s gaining ground,” Langone told CNN in an interview Monday afternoon. “Whether she can gain enough ground to be a spoiler, who knows? But a lot of people that I respect are jumping on her bandwagon.”
Haley, a former US ambassador to the United Nations, has seen growing donor interest in recent weeks as some establishment Republicans look to boost an alternative to former President Donald Trump, the current front-runner for the GOP nomination.
The growing list of GOP financiers deciding to support Haley – or to take a second look at her campaign – comes as her standing in the polls has improved.
A recent CNN poll with the University of New Hampshire, for instance, shows her moving into second place among likely Republican voters in the Granite State – although Trump still maintains a significant lead over Haley and the rest of the GOP field.
Aides to Haley’s campaign did not respond to a CNN inquiry Monday afternoon about the upcoming sit-down with Langone. CNBC first reported the planned meeting with Langone.
Langone backed Trump’s campaign in 2016 but has turned away from the former president. He said he first met Haley a couple years ago, but wants to hear her plans for the presidency before committing.
“I think she’s got the demeanor and the leadership skills to attract a lot…
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