Interviews with more than a dozen Republican donors and their allies revealed hand-wringing, magical thinking, calls to arms and, for some, fatalism.
“If things don’t change quickly, people are going to despair,” Mr. Levine said in an interview.
He is among the optimists who believe Mr. Trump’s support is not as robust as the polls suggest and who see a quickly closing window to rally behind another candidate.
Some donors have backed Mr. Trump’s rivals despite believing that he is unbeatable in the primaries.
“You’re at 2 percent, and he’s at 53 percent,” he recalled telling her, in only a slight exaggeration of Mr. Trump’s polling advantage.
Persons:
Trump, ” Mr, Levine, Levine’s, missive, Tim Scott of, Fred Zeidman, Nikki Haley, “ You’re, ”
Organizations:
Republican, South
Locations:
Tim Scott of South Carolina, Texas, South Carolina