GOP megadonors counting on 'McConnell saving the candidates Trump endorsed'

Republican megadonors have been letting Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) determine how to spend their campaign contributions, rather than giving directly to candidates endorsed by Donald Trump.

Federal Election Commission records and sources familiar with the billionaires' donations say financiers Paul Singer, Dan Loeb and Larry Ellison haven't given directly to J.D. Vance in Ohio, Blake Masters in Arizona, Herschel Walker in Georgia, Adam Laxalt in Nevada and Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, but have instead contributed to a super PAC closely aligned with McConnell, reported CNBC.

“They would be lighting their money on fire if they got totally swayed by these candidates,” said one GOP fundraiser. "[The Senate Leadership Fund has] the best polls and they won’t sink money into races they know they can’t win."

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The Senate Leadership Fund, which is run by former McConnell chief of staff Steven Law, has canceled the rest of its TV ad booking in Arizona, where Masters is trailing Sen. Mark Kelly by more than seven percentage points, but all five Trump-backed candidates have started featuring the Kentucky Republican at their fundraisers after being outraised and outspent by their Democratic rivals.

“Leader McConnell will end up saving the GOP candidates that Trump endorsed," said GOP fundraiser Jack Oliver. "He is focused and doesn’t let the noise get in the way."