 As of September 2016, Astorino had received $15,000 in campaign contributions from Donald Trump; he has stated that he considers Trump a friend.As of November 2017, Astorino had been the biggest beneficiary of donations by Robert Mercer to state and local campaigns in New York.Mercer and his daughter Rebekah each gave the maximum $26,900 to Astorino's 2013 reelection campaign.