Ken Griffin, the founder and CEO of hedge fund Citadel, called former President Trump a “three-time loser” during remarks at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Griffin is a Republican megadonor who, earlier this month, said he would be supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) if he decides to run for president in 2024.
What they’re saying: “I’d like to think that the Republican party is ready to move on from somebody who has been, for this party, a three-time loser,” Griffin said of Trump.
- Griffin added that he hoped Trump “sees the writing on the wall.”
- “It’s time the country moves forward,” he said.
- Griffin also praised DeSantis’ “landslide victory” in the midterm elections, saying the Florida governor “is going to run on a record of just unbelievable accomplishment.”
State of play: Griffin said he was “quite happy” about the midterms, despite Republicans’ failure to materialize a “red wave,” pointing to the high levels of voter turnout.
- “American voters came out in droves,” he said.
- “This is a triumph of democracy,” he added, particularly highlighting some voters’ decisions to split their ballots between both parties.
The big picture: Some Republicans have blamed Trump for the party’s poor showing in last week’s elections, which also dented Trump’s public perception as a kingmaker within the Republican Party.
- In recent days, several key Trump allies have broken with him.
- The conservative Club for Growth released polling Monday showing Trump trailing DeSantis by double-digits in four early primary states.
- Meanwhile, Trump is expected to formally announce his 2024 presidential campaign Tuesday night.
Source: https://www.axios.com/2022/11/15/ken-griffin-trump-ron-desantis-gop-move-on