Republicans are looking for a replacement for Trump – media

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp are receiving covert offers from the Republican elite and have not ruled out running for office. A number of senior GOP donors are planning to bring in an alternative presidential candidate at the last minute, distancing themselves from former President Donald Trump, Axios reports. According to the publication, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp are receiving hidden offers from representatives of the Republican elite and do not rule out the possibility of participation. This search for a non-Trump candidate is a disappointment in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was seen as Trump’s main rival but is now having trouble rallying support ahead of the first GOP presidential debate scheduled for Wednesday. Billionaire Ronald Lauder is among GOP donors considering supporting Youngkin if he is involved, a source who spoke to Lauder told Axios. Another billionaire, Thomas Peterffy, backed DeSantis in the spring but later donated $2 million to Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia fund, NBC News reported. Other major GOP funders have also quietly expressed interest in Youngkin, expressed outrage at the four-time indictment of Trump, and have also shown a chilly attitude towards current alternatives within the party. In June, The New York Times reported that media mogul Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox News and the New York Post, privately expressed a desire to see Youngkin race for the presidency. Another possible candidate, Kemp, is less likely to enter the race as he considers running for the US Senate, Republican sources say. Some GOP sponsors, frustrated by Trump’s strength, say Axios feel it’s too late to introduce a new candidate for the race, given the election season starts in less than five months. The future debate will be an indicator of whether DeSantis can recover from a slow start or another candidate emerges from the crowd, two Axios sponsor advisers said. Recall that the trial in the case of trump on the storage of classified documents will be held in the midst of the presidential campaign. Trump says he faces more than 500 years in prison