A super PAC that was established to support Ron DeSantis with a whopping $50 million in funding is now facing closure as donors have backed out.[0] The founder of the super PAC has openly criticized the Florida governor’s campaign, accusing it of making “rookie s**t” mistakes. As a result, the founder has announced that he will now be backing Donald Trump instead.
This development has caused quite a stir in the political landscape, with even former President Trump commenting on the situation. Taking to his social media platform, Truth Social, the former president quoted an article from the Mail that reported on the super PAC’s closure and the founder’s decision to switch his support to Trump.
Interestingly, despite the setbacks faced by DeSantis’ campaign, a recent poll conducted by the Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight, and Ipsos found that 29% of Republican voters who watched the debate believed that DeSantis performed the best. This narrowly beat out businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who was declared the winner by 26% of the surveyed voters. This indicates that DeSantis still has a strong base of support among Republican voters.
Moreover, the same poll revealed that surveyed Republican voters also declared DeSantis as the winner of the debate. In a post-debate poll conducted by the Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight, and Ipsos, 29% of respondents said that DeSantis performed the best, placing him in first position. Vivek Ramaswamy came in second place with 26% of the votes.
In light of these findings, the super PAC Never Back Down, which supports DeSantis’ presidential campaign, has made significant additions to its advertising reservations.[1] They have invested over $12 million in booking airtime for the fall, primarily in Iowa.[1] This move is seen as an attempt to capitalize on DeSantis’ strong performance in the debate and further bolster his campaign.
Not to be outdone, another super PAC supporting entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, the American Exceptionalism PAC, has also launched two new TV ads following his impressive debate performance.[1] The PAC has already spent around $850,000 on advertising and has recently increased its activity, signaling a strong push to promote Ramaswamy’s candidacy.[1]
Looking ahead, the battle for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination is set to intensify after Labor Day. To stay ahead in this competitive landscape, the super PAC supporting DeSantis is reserving a massive $25 million worth of TV time in Iowa and New Hampshire, marking its largest ad blitz yet.[2] This strategic move demonstrates the super PAC’s commitment to propelling DeSantis’ campaign to new heights.
To provide donors with a clear understanding of the campaign strategy, Never Back Down strategist Jeff Roe outlined the plans during a briefing in Milwaukee.[2] The briefing took place in the aftermath of the first debate, where eight candidates vying for the nomination, including former President Trump, faced off against each other.[2] While the details of the strategy remain undisclosed, it is evident that the super PAC is determined to help DeSantis secure the nomination.
In conclusion, the closure of the super PAC supporting Ron DeSantis, accompanied by the founder’s decision to switch his support to Donald Trump, has sent shockwaves through the political sphere. However, DeSantis still enjoys strong support among Republican voters, as demonstrated by his performance in the debate and subsequent polls. With significant advertising investments and a clear strategy in place, the super PAC supporting DeSantis aims to propel his campaign to the next level as the fight for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination intensifies.
0. “Trump gloats over report that $50m DeSantis super PAC has been forced to close over ‘rookie mistakes’” Yahoo Movies Canada, 31 Aug. 2023, https://ca.movies.yahoo.com/trump-gloats-over-report-50m-214906625.html
1. “DeSantis super PAC pumps more than $12 million into major ad buy” CNN, 26 Aug. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/26/politics/desantis-super-pac-ad-buy/index.html
2. “Ron DeSantis Super PAC Plans $25 Million Ad Blitz, Its Biggest Yet” BNN Bloomberg, 25 Aug. 2023, https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/ron-desantis-super-pac-plans-25-million-ad-blitz-its-biggest-yet-1.1963704
