There are some signs that Greitens’ support is fading. The Trafalgar Group’s most recent public poll of the primaries showed that for the first time, Greitens fell to second place among likely primary voters. Another recent poll commissioned by Schmitt’s campaign showed similar results. And on Saturday, in what some saw as evidence of his mounting troubles, Greitens skipped a Republican Party event in Taney County, one of the state’s larger annual gatherings of activists.
The turmoil in the Republican primary has complicated Donald Trump’s efforts to influence the outcome. Some party insiders had feared that Trump would support Greitens, who tailored his campaign message to “defend President Trump’s ‘America First’ policy” and questioned the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Following the previous round of allegations by Sheena Greitens, Trump issued a statement praising “the tall, loud and proud personality of Congressman Billy Long,” who is also running for the Missouri Senate seat but has not garnered much traction. “This isn’t a confirmation, but I’m just asking?” said Trump.
Eric Greitens is struggling to raise money, with financial reports showing his campaign had less than $300,000 in the bank as of January. Super PACs that support Greitens have received large donations from two Republican billionaires, Richard Uihlein, a shipping magnate, and Bernard Marcus, a founder of Home Depot. Greitens has also raised nearly $900,000 through its joint fundraising committee, and a spokesman said its forthcoming fundraising report will show the campaign has raised a “six-figure” sum of money since Sheena Greitens made her first statement.
But James Harris, a Republican lobbyist who has spoken to Missouri donors and activists about the race, said, “They’re really just done with him.” and said his wife would “kill me” if he gave the former governor any money.
And now, entering the race of an heiress to a beer company fortune threatens to make the general election competitive.
Trudy Busch Valentine, an heiress to the Anheuser-Busch fortune, is a well-known donor in Missouri.Credit…Hillary Levin/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, via Associated Press
The Democrats’ Dilemma: The Heiress or the Veteran?
Republicans are watching with suspicion the newly announced campaign of Trudy Busch Valentine, daughter of August Busch Jr., the Anheuser-Busch beer baron who died in 1989.