“I had one conversation with Sheldon, and all he wants to do is protect Israel,” Mr. Trump said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “But I don’t want his money. I don’t need his money. Hey, I am putting up my own money. I built an unbelievable company. I have a cash flow that’s enormous. It’s ridiculous.”

“If you would have said that I would have been doing this kind of numbers 25 years ago, I would have laughed at you,” he said. “The last thing I need — you’re talking about peanuts for a campaign. I mean, it’s actually not a lot of money.”

Part of Mr. Trump’s pitch to voters has been that unlike regular politicians, he can’t be controlled by well-financed individuals or special interests.