GOP donors increasingly split over support for Trump as midterms approach

As the 2022 midterm elections approach, some GOP super PACs are spending millions of dollars to oppose primary candidates endorsed by Donald Trump — suggesting a deepening rift within the Republican Party.

In several high-profile primaries, GOP donors — some dissatisfied with the direction of the national party as Trump teases another White House bid in 2024 — have poured large sums into supporting Republicans running against Trump-backed candidates, financial disclosures show.

The Ohio Senate GOP primary last week was an early demonstration of Trump’s continued influence over the party, as the Trump-endorsed candidate, Hillbilly Elegy author J.D. Vance, claimed victory with the backing of Trump-aligned megadonors like Peter Thiel and Rebekah Mercer. Yet Vance’s GOP rivals — most of whom also identify as supporters of Trump — were backed by millions of dollars from top Republican donors like Bernard Marcus, Stephen Warren and Paul E. Singer.

All told, the race drew more than $40 million in spending from super PACs and outside groups over the last few months, according to Federal Election Commission disclosure filings.

Similarly, the Pennsylvania Senate GOP primary slated for next week has already seen close to $30 million in spending from outside groups, including from super PACs funded by top Republican donors like Singer, Ken Griffin, and Stephen Schwarzman. To date, GOP groups have spent more than $20 million to attack Trump-endorsed candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz and support his primary rival David McCormick, filings show.

And in North Carolina, another Senate GOP primary slated for next week has attracted $18 million in outside GOP spending, split among Trump-backed candidate Ted Budd and his rivals.

The split is even evident within some super PACs themselves. Club for Growth Action, one of the highest-spending conservative groups this cycle, has aligned itself with all the Trump-endorsed congressional candidates — except in the Ohio Senate race, where it spent millions attacking Vance while supporting unsuccessful primary contender Josh Mandel.

Last month, when the group refused to switch its allegiance to Vance following Trump’s endorsement of him, Trump allegedly sent a message to Club for Growth President David McIntosh through his assistant, saying “Go f— yourself,” according to reporting from The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman.

McIntosh declined to comment to ABC News on the alleged clash with Trump — but he said that competitive GOP primaries are a “good signal” for the Republican Party.

“What it means is, there are just a lot of people who are energized and ready to win back the majority, and people who are able to raise a lot of money and spend a lot of money,” McIntosh said.

But some Republicans are ruing the fanfare over Trump’s endorsements and the national party’s support of the former president.

Asked by ABC News if she sees herself donating to the Republican National Committee this year, former Bush White House adviser and longtime Republican fundraiser Bobbie Kilberg said, “No — absolutely not.”

Instead, she and her…