Nov 15, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Ken Griffin, Republican megadonor, says GOP ready to "move on" from Trump

Ken Griffin, chief executive officer and founder of Citadel Advisors LLC., speaks during the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore, on Tuesday, Nov. 15

Ken Griffin speaks during the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore, on Nov. 15. Photo: Bryan van der Beek/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Ken Griffin, the founder and CEO of hedge fund Citadel, called former President Trump a "three-time loser" during remarks at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore on Tuesday.

Why it matters: Griffin is a Republican megadonor who, earlier this month, said he would be supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) if he decides to run for president in 2024.

What they're saying: “I’d like to think that the Republican party is ready to move on from somebody who has been, for this party, a three-time loser,” Griffin said of Trump.

  • Griffin added that he hoped Trump "sees the writing on the wall."
  • "It's time the country moves forward," he said.
  • Griffin also praised DeSantis' "landslide victory" in the midterm elections, saying the Florida governor "is going to run on a record of just unbelievable accomplishment.”

State of play: Griffin said he was "quite happy" about the midterms, despite Republicans' failure to materialize a "red wave," pointing to the high levels of voter turnout.

  • "American voters came out in droves,” he said.
  • “This is a triumph of democracy," he added, particularly highlighting some voters' decisions to split their ballots between both parties.

The big picture: Some Republicans have blamed Trump for the party's poor showing in last week's elections, which also dented Trump's public perception as a kingmaker within the Republican Party.

More from Axios:

Go deeper