New York, or rather Wall Street, will play a significant role in determining how long Nikki Haley can continue running for the White House. Tomorrow evening, the Republican candidate, who is the only challenger to Trump, is expected to attend a fundraising event held by some of the most influential millionaires of the Big Apple.
According to a copy of the invitation obtained by Axios news, members of the event’s host committee include private equity titan Henry Kravis, hedge fund manager Cliff Asness, and Ken Langone, the Home Depot co-founder who previously said he was waiting for Haley’s New Hampshire results because he “did not want to throw money down a rat hole.” The American billionaire investor and philanthropist Stanley Druckenmiller is also part of the event’s organizers.
Haley has more than 10 fundraisers scheduled in the next two weeks, including the one in New York City. The event is just one part of a fundraising swing slated for Haley before the South Carolina primaries. After the event in New York, Haley will be visiting Miami and Palm Beach in Florida to meet with wealthy donors. She will then travel to California and Texas in the first two weeks of February to meet with additional donors. Bloomberg reported that tickets for the fundraising event in New York City start at $3,300 and may be purchased for as much as $33,200.
Last Saturday, Americans for Prosperity’s political spending group, AFP Action, told donors that the Koch-aligned organization will continue with its current ad buys for Haley in South Carolina, while acknowledging it will be difficult to stop Donald Trump from clinching the nomination.
The group also claimed that winning the presidential primary isn’t the only way to stop Democratic rule in Washington. They reminded backers that taking back control of the Senate remains the organization’s top priority. Since November, billionaire industrialist brothers Charles and David Koch have been supporting Trump’s challenger.
Since endorsing Haley on November 28th, the Koch-aligned group has spent or reserved just over $2 million on cable, broadcast, satellite, and radio ads in South Carolina, according to AdImpact. In early January, AFP Action announced it would spend $27 million for Haley on mail, digital, TV, and grassroots efforts in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Despite recent losses to former President Trump in Iowa and New Hampshire, Nikki Haley has to fundraise across the country. She needs enough money to campaign beyond South Carolina, no matter the outcome. Haley has raised $4 million in online grassroots donations since New Hampshire, including $1.2 million in the 24 hours after Donald Trump threatened her donors with being “permanently barred” from Trump world if they continued to support his rival.
The Wall Street event suggests that Trump’s attempt to block donations to Haley’s campaign has failed once again. In addition, on Sunday, Haley announced on NBC that she will stay in the race until March 5th, Super Tuesday, when 16 states will hold primaries. Haley said, “I have every intention of going to Super Tuesday. Through Super Tuesday, we’re going to keep on going and see where this gets us. That’s what we know we’re going to do right now. I take it one state at a time.”
She doesn’t mention that it will be possible only if her donors give their financial support.
