Despite maintaining his dominant lead in the polls for the Republican nomination, one GOP donor weighs in on who could be the ideal candidate for the party and the nation. Interactive Brokers founder Thomas Peterffy recently shared his thoughts on the matter during Tuesday's "Cavuto: Coast to Coast" interview.
"I would like to vote for a person who, in my view, is most likely to be able to win the general election. And accordingly, we have to pick somebody in primaries that we believe is most likely to win the general. And that is going to be a person that I believe is more likely to be a centrist candidate," Peterffy said.
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He added, "I think that [Glenn Youngkin] would be an ideal candidate, although it is not very likely that he's going to run. Not at this point, certainly."
Peterffy, who grew up in a socialist country, is determined to support a candidate who can help the U.S. avoid becoming like a socialist country. He sees a candidate like Virginia Gov. Youngkin as the ideal candidate, stating, "I think that he is the person that most people will find very, very attractive. And he goes along with the main Republican ideals of individual freedom and economic freedom. And that's where the issue basically is. And less regulation, smaller government, etc."
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Although Youngkin has not declared running in 2024, he has often been mentioned as a potential candidate in a large Republican field. In early May, Youngkin said he would not launch a 2024 bid for the White House "this year." Despite this, the governor has sent mixed signals over his political ambitions ahead of the 2024 presidential election. His political team has yet to rule it out publicly. A recent poll showed the governor's approval rating at 56%, compared to 32% who disapprove.
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Peterffy did acknowledge another "extremely attractive" GOP candidate who has already entered the race. "I did have a meeting with [Vivek] Ramaswamy," he told host Neil Cavuto. "Wait for the debates. He's an extremely attractive candidate." According to a May Fox News poll, the Strive Asset Management co-founder is at 4% support among Republican voters.
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Former President Donald Trump maintains his lead with 53% support among GOP primary voters nationally, and Ron DeSantis once again comes in second at 20%. Last month, it was 53-21%. Since February, Trump has gained 10 points, and DeSantis has lost 8. The next tier includes Mike Pence at 5%, Nikki Haley and Ramaswamy at 4%, and Liz Cheney and Tim Scott at 2%. Greg Abbott, Kristi Noem, Chris Sununu, and Glenn Youngkin receive 1%, while Chris Christie, Larry Elder, Asa Hutchinson, and Francis Suarez are less than 1% each.
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"I don't think [Donald Trump] can win the general," Peterffy said when asked about his concerns over President Trump. "I was very enthusiastic about DeSantis, but when he passed a six-week abortion bill. I thought that maybe that drastically weakened him in a general election," he added.
With President Trump engulfed in further legal trouble and DeSantis facing his own legal battles, the top GOP candidates are facing mounting pressure. Peterffy believes the party is still waiting for its candidate "emerge."
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