las vegas top fundraisers donald trump make pitch wednesday prominent hedge fund investors line behind presumptive republican presidential nominee seek raise billion general election campaign new york billionaire businessman topic discussion 2,000 hedge fund managers investors lawyers journalists gather las vegas skybridge alternatives conference know salt industry prominent annual meet steven mnuchin trump newly appoint national finance chairman private investor meet attend hedge fund managers others include oil investor t. boone pickens georgette mosbacher former massachusetts senator scott brown onstage interview kenneth griffin billionaire founder powerful hedge fund firm citadel previously support u.s. senator marco rubio florida address presidential campaign spokesman griffin respond request comment also speak event former new york mayor michael bloomberg onstage interview decline endorse presidential candidate early year bloomberg flirt independent presidential candidacy decide fear would help trump chance get elect investors tell reuters disappoint bloomberg enter race trump last man stand republican race u.s. senator ted cruz texas ohio governor john kasich drop last week trump never hold elective office try unite republicans behind candidacy primary election campaign fiery rhetoric trade immigration muslims rankle party elites reuters/ipsos poll release wednesday show trump pull even clinton likely opponent nov. presidential election david rubenstein co-founder private equity powerhouse carlyle group kick three-day conference ask audience candidate think would move white house january november election vast majority express opinion either trump democratic front-runner hillary clinton away panel discussions industry salvage poor start year average hedge fund 0.8 percent year accord evestment powerful trump backers work small venues around hotel bellagio anthony scaramucci host conference run hedge fund investment firm skybridge capital say reach contact convince trump would run candidacy like entrepreneur something say america need opportunity bring entrepreneur team advisers entrepreneurial out-of-the-box thinkers washington scaramucci tell reuters sell potential donors scaramucci long powerful republican fundraiser originally back wisconsin governor scott walker year race late jeb bush former florida governor say would trump entrepreneurial avenue versus clinton cul-de sac suggestion economic growth would strong likely republican nominee scaramucci add potential donors would soon get fear publicly help trump candidate trump say things business people think jeez associate things could perceive negatively business think wash away next two months scaramucci say among big-name trump backers conference pickens oil investor hedge fund manager previously support bush candidacy yes donald trump say stage add trump smart enough get help need politically would refresh businessman instead politician white house donald almost always overestimate successful pickens say nonetheless know something talk about version story correct paragraph three remove reference mnuchin meet griffin fundraisers make pitch trump hedge fund conference