Peter Thiel, tech billionaire and venture capitalist, is pouring money into pro-MAGA candidates who are running against members of the GOP that voted to impeach former President Trump.
According to Politico:
“Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney’s primary challenger landed former President Donald Trump’s endorsement before she even officially launched her campaign. Now, she’s cashing big checks from Trump’s biggest donors — including tech billionaire Peter Thiel.
Thiel has contributed the maximum-allowed, $5,800 check to Harriet Hageman, the Trump-endorsed attorney running against Cheney in next year’s Republican primary. The former president has made Cheney, an outspoken critic who voted for his impeachment in January, his top target in the 2022 election, and now big-money benefactors like Thiel are piling into the race.”
And, as Politico notes, Thiel isn’t the only wealthy donor getting involved in funding pro-MAGA candidates. The list of people funding Hageman, challenger to Liz Cheney includes:
“Wyoming transportation executive Timothy Mellon, who was the single biggest giver to the principal pro-Trump super PAC, America First Action, during the 2020 election. Dallas real estate executive James Mabrey, Apple associate general counsel Douglas Vetter and Florida medical company executive Peter Lamelas also gave to Hageman. Other big names include Lynette Friess, the widow of Republican mega-donor and prominent Trump backer Foster Friess.”
Meanwhile, former President George W. Bush and Karl Rove are headlining the fundraising effort for Cheney, who has a $1.7 million dollar lead.
Nor is Hageman’s race the only House race important to the MAGA contingent of the GOP. There will be nine races in 2022 against House members that voted to impeach Trump. Those nine races are (as reported by The Conservative Treehouse):
- Valdao is being challenged in California by Chris Mathys [ Website Here ]
- Kinzinger is being challenged in Illinois by Catalina Lauf [ Website Here]
- Meijer is being challenged in Michigan by Tom Norton [ Website Here]
- Upton is being challenged in Michigan by Steve Carra [ Website Here]
- Cheney is being challenged in Wyoming by Harriet Hageman [Website Here]
- John Katko (NY-24) is currently uncontested [ Need Primary Candidate]
- Tom Rice is being challenged in South Carolina by Ken Richardson [ Website Here ]
- Herrera-Beutler is being challenged in Washington State by Joe Kent [ Website Here ]
- Newhouse is being challenged in Washington State by Loren Culp [ Website Here ]
All nine of those Houe members, along with Rep. Gonzalez, who is not running again, broke ranks with their GOP colleagues and voted to impeach Trump on a charge of inciting the insurrection on Jan. 6.
Mr. Thiel is funding more candidates than Hageman. According to Politico, “He has also contributed to army veteran Joe Kent, a challenger to Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), who, like Cheney, voted for Trump’s impeachment in January.” It remains to be seen if he will back the other MAGA candidates.
However, the GOP establishment is not supporting the MAGA candidates. Again according to Conservative Treehouse, “The RNC, led by Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, is upholding a club rule not to give any Republican Party funding to primary challengers.”
That means that candidates like Kent and Hageman will likely need to continue to rely on grassroots funding and certain wealthy donors, such as Thiel and Friess.
Additionally, former President Trump has begun to throw his support behind the MAGA candidates.
For example, Trump recently released a statement saying that “Harriet is a fourth-generation daughter of Wyoming, a very successful attorney, and has the support and respect of a truly great U.S. Senator, Wyoming’s own Cynthia Lummis. Harriet Hageman adores the Great State of Wyoming, is strong on Crime and Borders, powerfully supports the Second Amendment, loves our Military and our Vets, and will fight for Election Integrity and Energy Independence (which Biden has already given up). Unlike RINO Liz Cheney, Harriet is all in for America First.”
Former President Trump has also endorsed Joe Kent, a former Green Beret running in Washington State. As with Mr. Thiel’s donations, it remains to be seen what other candidates Trump will throw his support behind as the pre-midterm primaries begin.
By: Gen Z Conservative, editor of GenZConservative.com. Follow me on Parler and Gettr.
