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 Some flatly reject the notion of ever funding his campaign.
In interviews with Reuters, 22 members of the Republican money class
spoke of the “anguish,” “struggle,” and “Catch-22” they now find
themselves in, especially in light of the violence at Trump rallies
and the candidate’s refusal to denounce it.
Two additional high-profile Republican donors, Gaylord Hughey of
Texas, who backed Jeb Bush's Super PAC, and Ronald Firman of
Florida, who poured more than $2 million into a conservative Super
PAC, said they were still undecided and hoped Trump would tone down
his inflammatory rhetoric and urge his supporters to eschew
violence.
Trump won at least three states on Tuesday but his loss in Ohio
means the Republican nominating convention in July may be contested
if he falls short of winning a majority of delegates in the
state-by-state contests.
Republican donors are a testing ground for Trump, who is under
pressure to soften his tone to win independent voters. Even an
unorthodox campaign like his is expected to need some money for
television ads and staff should he reach the general election. The
billionaire real estate developer may find it difficult to fund this
with his own wealth.
 Throughout the 2016 election, many establishment donors have viewed
themselves as dedicated soldiers, willing to go to any lengths to
prevent either Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, or her
rival Bernie Sanders from winning the Nov. 8 election to succeed
President Barack Obama.
But some Republicans said they worried that becoming a Trump donor
could taint legacies, family names and personal brands. Many said
they disagreed with his protectionist trade policies, his calls for
the building of a wall on the Mexican border and his proposal for a
temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States.
Energy magnate and mega donor Dan Eberhart said he was concerned
about Trump’s lack of specificity on foreign policy and some of his
rhetoric.
“We won’t be donating to Trump, and I don’t know any of our donor
peers that would donate,” said Eberhart, who was a supporter of
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker in the race. “If he’s the nominee,
we will support him in spirit but not in cash. I mean, in some ways
it’s refreshing to have a candidate who is not completely scripted
but at the same time he lacks the decorum and stage presence and
gravitas to deal with foreign leaders on the world stage.”
Added Denver technology executive Chris Wright, “It’s an anguishing
position to be in, but we just couldn’t support him if he were the
nominee. We’re appalled. He’s anathema to the free society and civil
society in which we believe.”
The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
$1 BILLION ASSAULT
In the run-up to the convention Trump has vowed to self-fund his
campaign. He has pledged to do away with the pay-to-play,
transactional politics that have long dominated Washington.
But were he to become the party's nominee, the growing consensus
among campaign veterans is that a general election would cost
hundreds of millions of dollars, a total that Trump may well be less
able to self-fund.
 Trump will likely face a barrage of attack ads and negative mailings
funded by Super PACs, labor unions and the campaign of his
Democratic opponent. Answering the charges on the airwaves would
require more than just giving interviews and prove costly.
In a debate last week Trump said he had yet to decide whether to
seek donations in a general election campaign.
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To date, Trump’s controversial comments and his celebrity status -
he is a former reality TV show host - have made him a regular
presence on network television, allowing him to avoid spending as
much as his rivals on paid television advertising.
He has run a threadbare campaign from his plane and employs a tiny
staff with no strategists, consultants or pollsters. Trump spent a
mere $3.20 per vote versus now-dethroned rivals Bush and Marco
Rubio, who spent $551.70 and $30.40, respectively.
LESSON OF 2012
Trump could always try to keep up his unconventional low-budget
tactics. But Republican challenger Mitt Romney’s failure to respond
to President Barack Obama’s television attack ads in 2012 offer a
cautionary tale about not responding when an opponent goes on the
offensive.
“What you (will) see is a lot of people concede if Trump is our
nominee that we’ve lost the White House, let's protect the majority
in the Senate and the majority in the House,” said David McIntosh,
president of the Club For Growth, a conservative organization that
has spent millions of dollars on ads aiming to defeat Trump in the
primaries.
In the 2012 presidential race, Romney and Obama each spent $1
billion.
Should Trump decide to seek campaign donations, some Republicans
would be willing to open their wallets.
Bob Grand, who led Romney's Indiana fundraising in 2012, said he
would write Trump a check.
"We don't have any alternative. We don't have any choice, he's going
to be better than Hillary Clinton, that's for damn sure," Grand
said.
Trump could also use his large social media presence to solicit
small donations via his website. That could add up to large sums.
Trump could decide to court business people who do not normally get
involved in politics, potentially turning to supporters such as
billionaire businessman Carl Icahn and NASCAR chairman Brian France.
If Clinton is the Democratic nominee, she and her allies will have
millions of dollars with which to attack Trump.
But before Trump can take on Democrats, he will have to confront the
internal battle within his own party. He may feel the pressure to
fundraise if his opponents Ted Cruz and John Kasich keep the fight
up through the convention as Democrats launch their own attacks.
“This is the coming donor apocalypse,” said Florida strategist Rick
Wilson. “And for those donors who go turncoat like (New Jersey
Governor) Chris Christie, and join up with Trump, they will be
heaped with all the hate and opprobrium they deserve.”
(Additional reporting by Grant Smith; Editing by Caren Bohan and
Howard Goller)
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reserved.]
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