Republican megadonor Robert Bigelow, founder of Bigelow Aerospace, switched his support from Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) to Donald Trump.
Bigelow was previously DeSantis’ largest individual donor.
In an interview with Reuters, Bigelow said, “I’m pro-Trump. Right now I’m determined to remain on the sidelines for the time being to see how these prosecutions play out. I have to be sure that he does not have a position where the prosecution has a path to send him to jail.”
“He’s got to stay out of jail. You can’t run the United States from jail,” Bigelow added, noting that he believes the cases against Trump are politically motivated.
The move comes as several figures have also switched their 2024 loyalties to Trump.
Five Republican Florida state legislators have switched their 2024 presidential endorsements from DeSantis to Trump.
State Reps. Jessica Baker, Webster Barnaby, Alina Garcia, Kevin Steele, and State Sen. Debbie Mayfield have all switched their endorsement to the former president.
“As instability grows around the world and economic uncertainty takes root here at home, folks across my district tell me constantly they want to see President Donald Trump back in the White House and Gov. Ron DeSantis back on the job here in Florida, finishing the work he promised to do less than a year ago,” Baker said in a written statement.
State Sen. Debbie Mayfield said it was “time to unite our party behind Donald Trump, prepare for the year ahead and work together to prevent another four years of Joe Biden’s disastrous policies from destroying this nation that we all love so dearly.”
