Listener supported, WNYC Studios.

It's the Brian Lear Show on WNYC.

I'm Amina Serna, a producer for the Brian Lair Show, filling in for Brian today.

Coming up on today's show, WMYC's lead Eric Adams reporter, Elizabeth Kim, will be here,

as she always is on Wednesdays, to report on the mayor's weekly press

conference, the only one where he takes questions from reporters on any topic. Yesterday,

reporters asked about the city's drought warning and the mayor's relationship with president

elect Trump, plus more. Later in the show, how transgender Americans, a group that was demonized by the

Trump campaign, is preparing for the next Trump administration. And we'll wrap up today's show

with a look at what comes next for outdoor dining here in the city, as the pandemic sheds we've all grown to love or hate are

coming down, with only a fraction of restaurants planning to put them back up in the spring.

But first, more than $20 billion flooded into the 2024 presidential campaign, signaling a trend in American politics on both sides

at the aisle. Both presidential candidates and their political allies raised enormous sums of money

from billionaires. According to Open Secrets, the nonpartisan watchdog organization that

tracks the influence of money on politics, a majority of these mega donors were Republicans, and their donations paid off literally with Trump's resounding victory.

So who are these high rollers and what do they expect in return for fueling Trump and other GOP campaigns.

Joining us now to break it all down is Daniel Clydman, investigative reporter for CBS News,

and author of several books most recently, Find Me the Votes, A Hard Charging Georgia Prosecutor,

a rogue president, and the plot to steal an American election.

Welcome to WMIC, David.

Daniel.

Oh, pardon me, Daniel.

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