Republican Mega Donors Rallied Behind Donald Trump After Guilty Verdict in Hush Money Trial, Pledge Millions to Support His Reelection Bid

By Jace Dela Cruz

May 31 2024, 04:15 AM EDT

Former President Donald Trump's felony conviction on Thursday has reportedly sparked a surge of support from Republican donors, who have pledged millions to support his reelection bid.

Jury Finds Former President Donald Trump Guilty On All 34 Counts In Hush Money Trial — NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 30: Former U.S. President Donald Trump walks to go speak to the media after being found guilty following his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 30, 2024 in New York City. Steven Hirsch-Pool/Getty Images

New York Jury Finds Donald Trump Guilty in Hush Money Trial

According to Reuters, a New York jury on Thursday found Donald Trump guilty of falsifying documents to conceal a payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

Most Republicans view this conviction as a political maneuver to undermine the former president's campaign against Democratic President Joe Biden. This sentiment mirrors Trump's claims of political persecution, which prosecutors have denied.

Republican Mega Donors Pledge More Donations to the Presidential Campaign of Donald Trump

The former president reportedly received a flurry of support on Thursday, with major donors, including casino mogul Miriam Adelson and hotel magnate Robert Bigelow, rallying behind Donald Trump.

Their contributions will fuel extensive pro-Trump advertising and grassroots campaigning in key states. Politico reported that Adelson plans to donate millions to the pro-Trump super political action committee (PAC) Preserve America.

Adelson and her late husband, Las Vegas Sands founder Sheldon Adelson, contributed $90 million to Preserve America in 2020, making them Trump's biggest donors in that year. Bigelow, having already donated over $9 million to a pro-Trump group, described the criminal charges as a disgrace and committed an additional $5 million.

Former Trump ambassador to Jamaica Don Tapia and his small network of family and friends plan to donate around $250,000 to support Trump. However, after Trump's conviction, he told Reuters that they would aim to donate more than $1 million to the pro-Trump political action committee (PAC) MAGA Inc. in the coming weeks.

On the other hand, Silicon Valley investor Shaun Maguire, who shifted his support from Hillary Clinton to Trump after the Biden administration's chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal, announced a $300,000 donation following the verdict, according to Reuters.