Ken Griffin calls Trump '3-time loser,' disapproves of 2024 run - Business Insider

• GOP mega-donor and Citadel CEO Ken Griffin called Donald Trump a "three-time loser."
• He said helium hopes Trump "sees the penning connected the wall" and doesn't tally for president.
• Griffin has donated astir $60 cardinal to Republicans this cycle, and $1 cardinal to Trump's PAC successful 2018.

Ken Griffin, the CEO of concern steadfast Citadel and a Republican mega-donor, called erstwhile President Donald Trump a "three-time loser" and said helium hoped Trump wouldn't tally for the White House again.

"I'd similar to deliberation that the Republican enactment is acceptable to determination connected from idiosyncratic who has been for this enactment a three-time loser," Griffin said connected Wednesday astatine the Bloomberg New Economy Forum successful Singapore.

While Griffin praised Trump for his rollout of COVID-19 vaccines successful 2020, helium referenced Trump's failed statesmanlike bid successful 2020, the results of this year's midterms, and the Republican party's nonaccomplishment of 2 Georgia Senate seats successful 2021.

"I truly anticipation that President Trump sees the penning connected the wall," Griffin said. His remarks came earlier Trump announced his 2024 bid astatine Mar-a-Lago.

Griffin voiced enactment for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has yet to denote a statesmanlike run for 2024. 

"DeSantis is going to tally connected a grounds of conscionable unbelievable accomplishment," Griffin said, noting that the politician won reelection by 20 percent points successful a once-hotly contested state.

Griffin donated $5 cardinal to DeSantis' reelection run successful 2018, according to information from the transparency website OpenSecrets. He gave different $5 cardinal to DeSantis successful April 2021, per NBC. 

Trump and DeSantis are anticipated to clash for the Republican statesmanlike nomination, with Trump deriding the Florida politician with a mocking nickname, "Ron DeSanctimonious." DeSantis connected Wednesday dodged questions astir a brewing GOP civilian warfare with the erstwhile president, saying radical request to "chill out" aft the midterms.

Trump has been blamed by immoderate Republicans for the GOP's atrocious show this predetermination aft the enactment failed to instrumentality the Senate but won the House.

Griffin, however, said helium was blessed with the midterm results, saying the divided votes showed that radical came retired to formed their ballots. "It was a triumph of democracy," helium said.

In 2018, Griffin donated $1 cardinal to Trump's Future45 PAC, per OpenSecrets data.

In total, the CEO has enactment astir $60 cardinal into Republican campaigns this predetermination cycle, becoming the second-largest existent GOP donor, according to Politico. The lone Republican donor who's spent much this rhythm is Schlitz Beer heir Richard Uihlein, who has donated astir $62 million, per the outlet.

Zia Ahmed, a spokesperson for Griffin, told Insider helium had thing to adhd to the billionaire's comments.

Representatives for Trump and DeSantis did not instantly respond to Insider's requests for comment.

November 17, 2022: This communicative was updated to bespeak remark from Ken Griffin's spokesperson.