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Wall Street Executives Donated To Rival Candidates Who Polled Below Donald Trump

The executives donated to Senator Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, Mike Pence, and Ron DeSantis, who is said to be Trump's main rival.

BY SUNAYNA KANJILAL

UPDATED AUG 24, 2023

Donald Trump's opponents received financial padding from a wave of Wall Street executives, indicating that many hope for an alternative to the former president to represent the GOP. Dozens of Wall Street executives donated the legal maximum of either $3,300 for the primary or $6,600 for the entire election period to many of the other Republican candidates who were polling below Trump, as revealed by New Federal Election Commission filings, obtained by NBS and CNBC.

The executives donated to the most prominent candidates like Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, Mike Pence who served as the nation's vice president, and Ron DeSantis, who is said to be Trump's main rival.

Even with two criminal charges, Trump is still going strong

Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Chip Somodevilla

As per RealClearPolitics' Poll, 53% of the respondents chose Trump, 21% chose Desantis and only 6% chose Mike Pence.

Chris Jackson, a pollster and also the vice president of the firm Ipsos, said that he thinks that Trump is even "stronger than he was in 2016". He also added that DeSantis is also walking off his path by running on very similar policies. As per the poll, Trump still has a clear 32-point lead in the GOP.

Another poll conducted by NBC shows Biden with a very narrow lead over Trump, with the Democrat closing in on 49% and Trump at 45%.

Can Ron DeSantis really beat Trump?

The two frontrunners for the Republicans are all set to take on each in the 2024 presidential election. However, as aforementioned the former president still has a lead. While Trump still has the lead, DeSantis still has more donations and fewer legal troubles.

Many think that Ron Desantis is the most prominent contender for Trump. A pollster who worked with many Republicans told USA Today that Desantis looked like the most "viable challenger to Trump."

Other Grand Old Party favorites

Nikki Haley

Nikki Haley is an Indian-American politician who declared her candidacy back in February. She is the two-term governor of South Carolina and a former U.S. Ambassador. Nikki Randhawa Haley is also the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who served in the Trump administration for a year.

Mike Pence

The 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, Pence announced his candidacy just last month. However, things are looking that great for the former vice president. "I’ve long believed that to whom much is given much would be required. That’s why today, before God and my family, I’m announcing that I’m running for president of the United States of America," Pence told the Iowa crowd as per The Guardian.

Tim Scott

The South Carolina Senator announced his bid back in May 2023.

"I’m the candidate the far-left fears the most. You see, when I cut your taxes, they called me a prop. When I refunded the police, they called me a token. When I pushed back on President Biden, they even called me the 'n-word,'" Scott said. "I disrupt their narrative. I threaten their control. The truth of my life disrupts their lies," Tim Scott told the audience.

Vivek Ramaswamy

The investment analyst announced his candidacy back in February 2023. Ramaswamy is also the youngest so far at the age of only 38 to run for a presidential bid. He is one of the self-funded candidates who is known for his criticism of the woke culture of the nation. Ramaswamy is also the author of a book called, "Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam” which warns the audience against the politics that creeps into the business world.