Wealthy donors furious at being dragged into 'internecine warfare' surrounding Trump

As the auditioning to be Donald Trump's running mate reaches a fever pitch before the Republican National Convention kicks into gear in mid-July, billionaire donors are being increasingly being used as "pawns" by the leading contenders for the second slot to catch the former president's eye.

According to a report from the New York Times, one of the keys to becoming the GOP VP nominee is the ability to bring more cash to the general election campaign and hopefuls are flaunting their big-money contacts as a reason to be the chosen one.