Republican Megadonor Tightens His Purse Strings Over Senate's Refusal to Pass the SAVE America Act

Wyoming billionaire and GOP megadonor Timothy Mellon, the grandson of industrialist Andrew Mellon, was the savior who donated $130 million to the U.S. government in order for our soldiers to be paid when Democrats shut the government down. In 2024, Mellon poured close to $200 million into President Donald Trump's SuperPac MAGA Inc., and Republican Senate and congressional campaigns. With Trump's presidential win and Republican majorities in both the House and the Senate, it was money well spent.

But for 2026, the reclusive mogul has scaled back his spending, reportedly because of Senate Majority Leader John Thune's failure to get the SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) America Act passed.

Elections have consequences, and so should the terrible decisions of Thune and the GOP elite who enable him.

One of the Republican Party’s biggest donors has sharply reduced his giving ahead of the midterm elections, especially to Senate Republicans, a decision driven largely by the party’s failure to pass a far-reaching bill of voting restrictions.

The donor, Timothy Mellon, a reclusive Wyoming billionaire who is a grandson of the Gilded Age industrialist Andrew Mellon, gave nearly $200 million to support President Trump and other Republicans in the 2024 election. Only Elon Musk donated more.

Two years later, Mr. Mellon has given just $3 million or so in publicly disclosed donations to Republican candidates or groups. He also made a $20 million donation last month to help House Republicans, according to two people briefed on the contribution, which will not be disclosed until the next financial reports.

But Mr. Mellon has given nothing publicly so far to support Senate Republicans this fall — a move that has been conspicuous in the party’s financial circles, and shows how some influential Republicans remain angry about the party’s inability this summer to pass the voting legislation, called the SAVE America Act.

While Mellon hasn't dropped the moolah, it doesn't mean he's not dropping it at all. But he does appear to be bypassing the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).

After making an average of 28 donations in each of the last four election cycles, Mr. Mellon has made only five publicly disclosed contributions in the 2026 cycle so far. He donated nearly $2 million in private stock to MAGA Inc.; $1 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund; and smaller five-figure checks to three other conservative-aligned super PACs. Two of those groups backed candidates for the Senate who criticized Mr. Thune and lost their Republican nominating fights.

Campaign finance reports show only public donations through June 30 for some federal committees, and through Aug. 30 for other committees. More donations from Mr. Mellon to Republicans could be revealed in the coming weeks. His $20 million donation in August to the Congressional Leadership Fund, the group backing House Republicans, is set to be disclosed in an F.E.C. report by Oct. 15. The super PAC declined to comment.

Notably absent so far: any donations to help elect Senate Republican nominees this fall.

Can you blame him? Along with the Senate Republicans' failure to pass the SAVE America Act, they passed another continuing resolution instead of funding the government. Next week will close out the legislative session where it will come as a great surprise to the American people if anything relevant gets accomplished.   

The Senate is about to take yet another vacation.

This time, Senators have 37 days off.

✅ Vacation
❌ Legislation
❌ Budget reconciliation pic.twitter.com/yUCWL4cDKp

— ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) September 25, 2026

Quarterly FEC reporting comes through again in October, so we may find Mellon has kept his powder dry for the sole purpose of carpet-bombing the high stakes Senate races in Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, and Texas. Bottom line: if you are giving that much money, you expect results and the candidates who will deliver them. If Republicans lose their majorities because of the Senate's failures, other donors may just follow Mellon's lead in future elections. 

There are donors who legitimately expect Republicans to fulfill the president's agenda, and not just play the game of controlled opposition.

Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.

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