Trump Courts DeSantis Donors In Memo Sounding Alarm On Campaign Cash, Polling

Trump Courts DeSantis Donors In Memo Sounding Alarm On Campaign Cash, Polling

Mary Lou Masters on July 17, 2023

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign sent a memo Monday to Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ donors, questioning the governor’s polling numbers and the campaign’s spending following the release of second quarter fundraising totals.

While DeSantis raised more during the second fundraising quarter than Trump and any other GOP candidate, the former president ended Q2 with more cash on hand, according to their Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings. Trump’s campaign encouraged DeSantis’ donors to ask his team about the campaign cash discrepancy, as well as the former president’s massive lead in the polls, according to the memo.

“As Governor Ron DeSantis hits the road over the next week, seeking more funds for his campaign, we believe it is important to provide you, the donors who generously fund and raise money, with a list of relevant questions considering the current circumstances faced by his campaign,” the memo reads. “The full extent of disorganization within the DeSantis campaign is now coming to light after public filings revealed that the campaign is spending unsustainably on a bloated payroll and not raising sufficient funds necessary for a long-term campaign.”

DeSantis raised over $20 million since his late May campaign launch, but ended the second quarter with $12.2 million cash on hand. While Trump raised $17.7 million during the same time period, his campaign will enter the third quarter with $22 million cash on hand.

Trump’s campaign questioned the governor’s viability, and inquired about the campaign’s spending, what the staffers are doing, the support for the governor from outside groups, as well as how his team plans to cut into the former president’s massive lead in the polls, while pointing to articles from NBC News, ABC News and The New York Times, according to the memo.

“If the campaign has not demonstrated sufficient enthusiasm to build a national fundraising base who is motivated to contribute, how can they effectively implement what they call a “long slog strategy”?” the memo reads. “The answer is simple: They can’t.”

The RealClearPolitics (RCP) average for a 2024 national Republican primary, based on polls conducted between June 16 and July 11, indicates Trump is leading the crowded field by 34.1 points, followed by DeSantis with 19.7%. Trump also leads DeSantis in all four of the key early primary states — in Iowa by 23 points, in New Hampshire by 24 points, in Nevada by 30 points and in South Carolina by 23 points, according to FiveThirtyEight.

The memo said Trump is leading DeSantis by a “significant margin,” and criticized the governor for blaming the “Corporate Media” for the discrepancy while planning to do an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper.

“Of course, if I were you, I wouldn’t hold my breath expecting any answers or accountability,” the memo reads. “Given the aforementioned points, if you still collectively pour millions of dollars into the failing Ron DeSantis campaign, you can’t say you weren’t warned.”

DeSantis’ campaign referred the Daily Caller News Foundation to a previous statement released following the announcement of the second quarter fundraising totals upon request for comment.

“Our campaign brought in more than the entire field – including a current and former president – because the enthusiasm for Ron DeSantis’ movement to restore sanity to our nation and lead our Great American Comeback is unprecedented,” campaign manager Generra Peck said in a statement. “The generous support we received this quarter will be critical as we continue to capitalize on the momentum shift that occurred in Iowa this week and deploy the Full Grassley. Americans across the country are about to see a whole lot more of Ron DeSantis. Get ready.”