DeSantis lands endorsement from MAGA mega-donor

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Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., landed an endorsement from a Republican mega-donor who previously supported former President Trump.

Hal Lambert, who founded Point Bridge Capital – also known as "MAGA ETF," said he supports DeSantis over Trump for his conservative record and ability to win. 

"I’m in for DeSantis this time — I plan to do a lot to help DeSantis win," Lambert told the New York Post. "Ron is good at giving a message."

Lambert served on Trump’s inaugural committee in 2016. His issue with Trump for 2024, he told The Post, is that the former president is too focused on 2020.

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Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., landed an endorsement from a Republican mega-donor who previously supported former President Trump. (AP/Maya Alleruzzo)

"We can’t talk about things from four years ago that can’t be changed," Lambert said. "Trump is going to have a difficult time winning the general election. The election won’t be about Joe Biden’s bad record. It will be a referendum on Trump instead."

Fox News Digital reached out to Lambert through MAGA ETF, but they did not immediately respond.

Lambert founded Point Bridge Capital as an exchange-traded fund that invests only in companies with employees and political action committees that support Republican candidates. He said he decided to support DeSantis after meeting a few weeks ago with the governor and his wife Casey, who he said is "amazing" and "a real asset."

"DeSantis is a leader who knows how to govern, not just have news headlines and slogans," Lambert said.

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Hal Lambert said he decided to support Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., after meeting a few weeks ago with him and his wife, Casey, who he said is "amazing" and "a real asset." (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

Current Republican primary polls show Trump with a significant lead over DeSantis, who is expected to announce his campaign for president this week. Lambert said there is little reason to worry, as polls are inflated towards Trump due to his bigger name at the start of a campaign battle that has yet to officially begin.

"Trump’s support will drop under 50%," Lambert said. "You have to beat Trump and not alienate Trump’s voters. We need them to win the general election."

Bryan Griffin, press secretary for DeSantis's office, said Lambert's support counters media narratives on the governor's national momentum. 

"Much to the media’s chagrin, this proves that donors continue to be impressed by Governor DeSantis and support him in bringing his successes to the national stage," Griffin told Fox News Digital. "Clearly the media’s shared talking points for that narrative were yet again backed by nothing but their agenda." 

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Former President Trump, left, and Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., are expected to lead a field of Republicans in the 2024 presidential primary. (Getty Images)

Lambert added that immigration is set to be a major campaign issue yet again, which Trump capitalized on in 2016 but failed to deliver amid his term as president.

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"With millions of illegals from all over the world swarming across the border under Biden, it’s an everyday reminder that Trump didn’t fulfill his number one campaign promise — building a wall and having Mexico pay for it," Lambert said. "We got neither and our country will forever be changed."