Las Vegas real estate investor Robert Bigelow seems to be reconsidering his support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a Republican presidential contender, according to a recent interview.
Speaking with the Financial Times, Bigelow described former President Donald Trump as more of a “bull” and DeSantis as “dinner.”
“You better be able to kill — and that’s not who Ron is,” Bigelow said.
Earlier this year, Bigelow dropped $20 million into the Never Back Down super PAC, which supports DeSantis, making him the Florida governor’s biggest donor.
However, he has not been impressed with DeSantis, who has faced criticism for his past debate performances and his ability to connect with voters. Trump is currently the favorite candidate for Republican voters, with DeSantis fighting for the No. 2 spot in the polls alongside former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
The Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israeli civilians led Bigelow to conclude that the U.S. needs a “streetwise” leader like Trump.
“I’ve got to look at who would probably be the strongest commander, with the most experience,” Bigelow told the Financial Times, adding: “And that’s only one guy.”
“Who would you want as a commander? I’d want somebody that would be a hell of an ass-kicker if he needed to be,” he continued. “On the face of it, you lean toward Trump.”
While Bigelow once boasted that he would “give [DeSantis] more money and go without food,” he has since voiced criticism of the Florida governor over his extreme policy stances. Bigelow told Reuters in August that he particularly did not like the six-week abortion ban DeSantis signed in April.
Bigelow said he was miffed that it was DeSantis’ wife, Casey, who called him two weeks after Reuters published the criticism, instead of the candidate himself.
The billionaire owner of Budget Suites of America and Bigelow Aerospace, who is currently nurturing an obsession with death, has also invested money in UFO research and Nevada politics in recent years.
