Two senior advisers from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's 2024 presidential campaign team are leaving this week to conduct outside efforts in an attempt to boost support for the Republican as he lags behind former United States President Donald Trump.
The DeSantis campaign's communications adviser and media director, Dave Abrams, and the lead of external affairs, Tucker Obenshain, are leaving to assist an outside political non-profit group, which would work on bolstering support for the Florida governor.
Ron DeSantis Campaign Conducts Outside Efforts
Obenshain will be responsible for leading the group that is expected to host events, as part of what the campaign is describing as a "DeSantis is everywhere strategy." It comes as the Florida Republican is looking to compete early in nominating states, such as Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
In a statement, a DeSantis campaign spokesman, Andrew Romeo, said that the more people who hear and see the Florida governor and his forward-thinking vision to fix Joe Biden's failures, the better it is for their prospects of victory, as per Politico.
Romeo added that DeSantis will be attending events with dozens of organizations celebrating his policy and leadership, adding that the "DeSantis is everywhere" tour has begun. The situation comes amid broader questions about the influence of the Florida governor's campaign compared to other candidates.
DeSantis and his allied super PAC, Never Back Down, have already self-reported large fundraising acquisitions. The campaign claimed that it was able to raise $20 million in the second quarter of 2023.
However, since DeSantis' official campaign launch back in May, several polls have shown that he has been lagging behind Trump nationally and in early states by large margins. An internal memo circulated by the Florida governor's team among its donors seemed to have acknowledged the rocky rollout.
The renewed efforts also come amid a series of negative headlines for the 2024 presidential candidate, who has faced questions about lagging poll numbers and general viability. DeSantis generally brushed off questions about his campaign performance and the headlines, including one about his travel to Iowa on Friday, according to The Hill.
Trailing Behind Donald Trump
DeSantis was previously asked if he believes that race was still a factor between his and Trump's performances. The Florida governor simply said, "Just watch, just watch." The Republican took a similar stance regarding concerns about South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott following reports that some donors were thinking of shifting their interest.
Additionally, the Florida governor has shifted the blame onto the media for reports that his campaign has stalled. He said that mainstream media outlets do not want him to be the nominee because they know that he will be able to beat Biden in the 2024 presidential elections.
On top of these, some Republicans who have invested in DeSantis' candidacy have expressed concerns that the Florida governor is wasting valuable time to gain traction against Trump. However, DeSantis has urged patience, insisting that it is still very early in the political calendar to pick out a clear nominee.
Next Friday, DeSantis will convene top donors and fundraisers for a retreat where his campaign will update them regarding the status of the presidential race. While the event has been scheduled for weeks, it is becoming even more urgent as the Florida Republican's campaign is seeking to assure its biggest donors that it has a long-term strategy to beat Trump, said CNN.
Related Article: Biden Administration Forgives $39 Billion in Student Loans
