When Donald Trump pushed aside campaign chairman Paul Manafort one day ago, the act may have the unintended consequence of doing the same with donors.
The alliance between new campaign CEO Steve Bannon and billionaire benefactor Bob Mercer notwithstanding, the Trump campaign is banking that it can convert buzz associated with the shakeup into an energized blast from well-heeled donors.
GOP insiders fear the opposite may have happened.
"The first response would be, 'Who?' And the second a realization that (Trump) has no intention of even making this thing particularly close," former GOP finance official Liam Donovan told CNN.
Despite not being a fundraiser, Bannon does have the staunch support of Mercer, who supported Texas Sen. Ted Cruz during the primary, according to CNN. And the promotion of Kellyanne Conway to campaign manager does surface someone adept at finding the dollars and expanding their fundraising reach beyond Mercer.
"Bannon and Conway taking over the campaign will have a jolt of electricity through donors," Citizens United president David Bossie told CNN. "And I think that they're going to hopefully look at opening their checkbooks to the idea that he's fully committed to winning."