A Wisconsin-based couple, conservative billionaires and megadonors, are about to support Trump’s campaign with pouring millions to defeat Biden in the very likely Biden-Trump rematch in the general elections later this year. The successful business couple have given more than $250 million to federal candidates and political groups since the 2016 election cycle and they are now on the verge of supporting Trump as he is expected to secure the Republican nomination as soon as today.
Initial huge donation for Florida Gov. DeSantis
Liz and Dick Uihlein, founders of Uline, a shipping and packaging company established in their basement in 1980, recently contributed to the Republican primary campaign of Florida’s Governor, Ron DeSantis, who exited the race in January. Following DeSantis’s inability to advance beyond the Iowa caucuses, the Uihleins shifted their support to Trump.
The support for Trump coming after Super Tuesday
The news about the Uihleins donating to Trump came over the past weekend as reported by the Financial Times. In a significant triumph last week, Trump outperformed Nikki Haley in the Super Tuesday primaries, securing victories in 14 of the 15 states and significantly bolstering his chances for the Republican nomination. Despite this, Trump’s campaign faces financial challenges, trailing behind Biden’s campaign in fundraising efforts.
Trump’s campaign faces fundraising issues
As the Nov. 5 general election approaches, Trump lags behind Biden in fundraising. By the end of January, Trump’s campaign reported to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that its cash reserves had decreased to slightly over $30 million, a drop from about $33 million the previous month. On the other hand, Biden’s campaign, which is navigating a less contested path to the Democratic nomination, reported to the FEC that it concluded January with approximately $56 million in cash, an increase from $46 million in December.
Read also: North Dakota federal judge rules against Biden admin, protects religious Americans’ money
Trump legal problems
Trump’s legal bills have surged into the hundreds of millions as he faces 91 criminal charges spread across four separate cases. This Friday, he secured a bond worth $91.6 million to settle the defamation judgment in favor of author E. Jean Carroll. Previously, the Uihleins had donated $1.5 million each to DeSantis’s campaign, and Liz Uihlein has stated her intention to donate a similar sum to Trump’s campaign efforts.
Megadonors
The Wisconsin-based couple have contributed over $250 million to federal candidates and political organizations since the 2016 election cycle, according to a report by the Financial Times, which referenced the nonprofit organization OpenSecrets. They supported Trump in the past two elections before starting to look for a new candidate for the 2024 election. As Trump seems to get closing in securing the Republican nomination, the couple decided to support him.
Liz Uihlein thinks that Biden and Trump don’t need millions
In a conversation with the newspaper, Liz Uihlein reflected on the necessity of donations for well-known candidates like Trump and Biden, questioning the actual benefit of such contributions at this point.
“These two guys are very well-defined,” she told the FT. “I don’t understand why everybody has to give all this money.”
She also expressed qualms over Trump’s rhetoric.
“Everybody likes Trump’s policies,” Liz Uihlein said. “But we have almost 10,000 people that work for us and I would never talk to them the way Trump talks to people.”
The presidential race
Former President Donald Trump could secure the Republican presidential nomination this Tuesday, following the outcomes of GOP voting contests in Georgia, Washington, Mississippi, and Hawaii. Similarly, President Biden could also secure his nomination on the same day. The states of Georgia, Mississippi, and Washington are set to conduct Republican primaries, whereas Hawaii will host GOP caucuses.
On the Democratic side, primaries will take place in Georgia, Mississippi, Washington, and the Northern Mariana Islands, with Democrats living abroad also participating in the vote.
