Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has fired nearly a dozen staffers employed by his 2024 presidential campaign, as his second quarter fundraising numbers pose concerns about his favorability with voters.
The move follows lower than expected results by DeSantis to fund a formidable bid against former President Donald Trump (R), according to a new report.
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The report cites a source requesting anonymity to discuss the Thursday firings, who is also familiar with internal discussions to end the employment of the fewer than 10 staffers assisting with event planning.
The governor’s team raised $20 million in the second quarter, despite being just six weeks into his formal candidacy for the GOP nomination prior to the end of the quarter. The DeSantis campaign burned through over $1 million on payroll, associated taxes, insurance, and processing fees for the roughly 90 staffers on his team at the time.
Of the funds hauled in, just $3 million was set aside for the 2024 general election, with about 15 percent of coming from small-dollar donors. This comes in stark contrast to Trump’s extensive level of fundraising within the same group, accrued over his years as an active politician.
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Amid the staffing shake-up, Never Back Down, the super PAC backing DeSantis, reported bringing in roughly $130 million since its launch in March to help boost the governor’s bid for the nation’s highest office.
In addition to these latest firings, the DeSantis team recently saw exits by two of its top advisers—senior communications adviser and media director, Dave Abrams, and Tucker Obenshain, who oversaw external affairs.
