GOP megadonor details candidates' next steps after first debate
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has 'gravitas' to win 2024 presidential election, says Thomas Peterffy
GOP megadonor calls on Glenn Youngkin to join GOP race
Interactive Brokers chairman and founder Thomas Peterffy explains why Republicans must pick the candidate who will win the general election, not the primaries.
A billionaire Republican megadonor has set his sights on the most promising 2024 GOP presidential candidate — but it wasn’t anyone on the debate stage Wednesday night.
"He said he's completely focused on the Virginia elections, which will take place on Nov. 7. He doesn't want to talk about anything else," Interactive Brokers chairman and founder Thomas Peterffy said Thursday of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on "Cavuto: Coast to Coast." "I don't know if we can talk him into entering the race, but I think it would be very, very important that we try."
"He has gravitas," he added.
Peterffy, who has contributed financially to both Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' and Youngkin’s campaigns, expressed that he wants to support the candidate who could defeat President Biden in the general election.
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"I don't think that Republicans can afford to be emotional in this election," Peterffy told host Neil Cavuto. "The person that most likely the primary voters are going to vote for is not the one who most people would vote for in the general election. The goal must be to win the general election."
Billionaire Republican donor and Interactive Brokers chairman and founder Thomas Peterffy weighs in on the GOP candidates’ first debate performance on "Cavuto: Coast to Coast." (Fox News)
Although he believes DeSantis "won" the first primary debate, Peterffy believes his "huge problem" lies in the recently passed abortion bill in Florida, which Democrats will campaign heavily against.
When it comes to Vivek Ramaswamy, the megadonor complimented his "captivating" presence but pointed out the elephant in the room.
"Unfortunately, it's very heavy baggage that is not well-known or talked about a lot, which is that he's a vegetarian Hindu and animal rights activist," Peterffy said.
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If former President Donald Trump leads as Republicans’ "power candidate," Peterffy warned, Trump will be running against himself.
"Just like in 2020, people voted for or against Trump. Biden was just a name for the against-Trump voters. The same thing happened in 2022," the Interactive Brokers founder said. "We cannot make the same mistake three times."
Trump is leading both DeSantis and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., garnering 42% support in a new poll of Iowa’s likely Republican caucusgoers.
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Trump is leading by 23 percentage points over DeSantis, who garnered 19% support in the Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll of 406 likely Republican caucusgoers conducted Aug. 13-17.
Scott came in third place with 9% support, while former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence tied for fourth at 6%. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie garnered 5% support, and 4% of respondents said they would support tech entrepreneur Ramaswamy.
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.