Dallas millionaires continue to back Trump despite video

DALLAS - Even as elected Republicans recoil from their nominee Donald Trump, big money donors aren't going anywhere.

Some polls conducted after the release of the Trump’s video on Friday, but before Sunday night’s debate, show Hillary Clinton up by double digits. But other polls show Trump has not lost support among his base or his financial backers.

The Trump Victory Fund hopes to raise $10 million on Tuesday nationwide for Trump, and some of that money will be raised in North Texas.

One day after the second debate with Hillary Clinton, many elected Republicans continue to distance themselves from the Republican nominee, including House Speaker Paul Ryan who says he will no longer defend Trump.

“You have not seen senior elected officials of a party abandon the nominee for president of that party thirty days before the general election,” said SMU Political Professor Cal Jillson.

Doug Deason is a Dallas millionaire businessman and a Trump financial backer.

“They're either disingenuous, naïve or just an idiot,” he said. “We're under no illusion that he was Saint Trump.”

A 23-year-old video was released by a New Zealand TV station that shows Trump talking about his image as a high-roller who is attracted to beautiful women.

“I don’t enjoy that image. I guess I have that image,” he said in the interview. “I think women are great. I think certain women are more beautiful than others, to be perfectly honest. And it’s fortunate I don't have to run for political office.”

But the video that has dominated news cycles is footage first released by the Washington Post last Friday that shows Trump’s womanizing comments with TV host Billy Bush.

“And we all know that in his past, he was a womanizer. And you know misogyny is not something that we admire or appreciate,” said Deason. “And what he said was despicable and certainly needs to be condemned. Same time, it was eleven years ago.”

Doug Deason and his billionaire father, Darwin, have put it down for Trump.

“We've given him a million collectively,” Deason said. “And we've helped him raise somewhere three to five million dollars.”

The Deasons say they backed into supporting Trump. Former Governor Rick Perry was their first choice. When he dropped out, their support turned to Ted Cruz.

“But he didn’t win, and so at the end of the day, the Republican electorate elected Donald Trump,” Deason said. “And so it took us about a split second from the time that Ted Cruz said ‘I’m suspending my campaign’ for us to become Trump supporters.”

The Deasons, presidential trustees in the Trump Victory Fund, will co-host a Tuesday fundraiser for Trump in Dallas.

“Can he win this thing?” asked FOX 4 Reporter Shaun Rabb.

“Yes. He can win this thing, absolutely,” Deason replied.

Deason said they spent time with Trump when he was in Dallas in June and liked what they heard from him.