Billionaire GOP donor: Trump is ‘a threat to democracy’

Billionaire hedge fund manager Seth Klarman reportedly ripped President Trump at an investment conference last week, calling Trump “a threat to democracy.”

Klarman, the CEO of Baupost Group and a frequent donor to Republican political campaigns, made the remarks at the Robin Hood Investment Conference last week, according to New York Magazine. The magazine obtained an audio recording of Klarman’s comments blasting Trump.

{mosads}“The president is a threat to democracy. He has attacked journalists and he’s threatening to take away NBC’s license,” Klarman said, according to the magazine. “He’s attacking judges. He’s violating all sorts of democratic norms, from the emoluments clause to questioning the election and threatening to lock up his opponent.”

“The country is getting divided, whether it’s immigrants, whether it’s transgender people, whether it’s blacks, whether it’s Mexicans,” he continued. “It’s awful.”

Klarman has previously been a critic of Trump. In August 2016, Klarman said Trump was “completely unqualified” to be president and pledged to help then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton get elected.

“His words and actions over the last several days are so shockingly unacceptable in our diverse and democratic society that it is simply unthinkable that Donald Trump could become our president,” Klarman said at the time.

Klarman is registered as an independent but has largely given to Republicans in the past, according to Reuters. He has donated to political action committees this election cycle that backed the GOP candidates Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

He has also given some donations to Democratic campaigns, including to Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.) and Mark Warner (Va.). In June 2016, he gave $5,400 to Clinton’s presidential campaign, according to the Boston Globe.