Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, after placing second in the Iowa caucuses with 14% and polling at only 5% in New Hampshire, is refocusing his presidential campaign on South Carolina, where he plans to stay in the Feb. 24 contest. The strategic shift away from New Hampshire comes as his supporting super PAC, Never Back Down, starts layoffs, and rival Nikki Haley leads him in South Carolina with a 23 to 14 advantage. Despite DeSantis's campaign insisting on a path forward, there is speculation about his campaign's longevity and a potential attempt to divert attention from his New Hampshire performance. Regretting his initial media strategy, DeSantis admits he should have been more proactive with mainstream media. Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo's endorsement of Donald Trump adds to the campaign's challenges, while DeSantis supporters aim to narrow the race to a two-person contest between Trump and DeSantis, leveraging the fact that DeSantis overperformed his polling in Iowa by 8 points.
.@RonDeSantis is about to drop out in shame. He has had a press gaggle with about 20 of his supporters waiting in freezing cold weather outside of the New Hampshire arena. I think he’s trying to find the balls to face the people and drop out. He won’t get a single delegate…
The DeSantis Campaign (and my) mistake in Iowa was going for the haymaker and predicting victory. Very hard to defeat a de facto incumbent with 100% name ID and established base in a rural state. We should have predicted a second place finish and spent more time in NH targeting…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is about to hold a press conference outside the New Hampshire arena where he was set to debate Nikki Haley (and, less plausibly, Donald Trump) last night before both refused to take the stage #nhpolitics @politico https://t.co/HEw7KHeAVl
After a humbling loss in Iowa, Gov. Ron DeSantis is starting to signal that he is building an off-ramp from the race for the Republican presidential nomination, a seeming acknowledgment of his dim prospects of defeating Donald Trump. https://t.co/7jN8XJ9su5
DeDantis doesn't need to win NH. He just needs to get over 10%. He doesn't need to win SC. He just needs to beat Haley. Those happen and Haley could drop out after SC and this is a two man race and DeSantis name ID explodes.
Ron DeSantis is reallocating the majority of his staff to South Carolina, the home state of rival Nikki Haley. https://t.co/Vk6DHJi1tB
DeSantis says he regrets shunning ‘corporate’ news media https://t.co/HkBsrs0Pgo https://t.co/lNua9npfmZ
DeSantis Repeatedly Bragged About 'Earning Every Vote.' Now He's Skipping New Hampshire. Read more: https://t.co/i1AE0EteQn In the wake of his distant second-place finish in Iowa, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is skipping...
DeSantis could score a redemptive win right now by ending Nikki Haley’s career. All he has to do is face the inevitable - drop out now and endorse Trump. https://t.co/w0zQ2weqtH
DeSantis Opens Up About an Early Mistake He Made: ‘I Should Have Just…’ https://t.co/ONqam9FULx
HERE'S THE PLAN: DeSantis overperforms his polls in NH while Nikki underperforms. Nikki falls to 3rd in SC where she is very unpopular, and DeSantis has been speaking to standing room crowds. Nikki drops out and this race is Trump vs. DeSantis where Trump's 50% ceiling starts…
DeSantis needs to come in at 10 to 15% in NH and take Nikki down 5 to 10 points. That weakens her going into SC where if DeSantis can place second will make Nikki drop out.
Trump and Haley Are Already Running Like DeSantis Is Out After a disappointing finish in Iowa, DeSantis is all but pulling out of New Hampshire—and prompting his biggest rivals to move to a new phase of the 2024 primary. https://t.co/3Cq4nwEBTo
New Hampshire delegates are allocated proportionally to candidates who receive 10% or more of the vote. @RonDeSantis is on pace to receive 0 delegates. He gave up on campaigning in New Hampshire because he’s polling at 5%, which means he’s not getting any NH delegates. Just… https://t.co/Kis8PCvQiW https://t.co/B70CtR6h5F
A lot of things went wrong in DeSantis’ campaign. One, he has sort of acknowledged recently, was that he thought he’d captured Trump’s loyal media support in 2022 when he was only borrowing it. https://t.co/eunjfOzMKR
A vote for Mr. Trump is a vote for Haley. DeSantis absolutely must fight for every vote. https://t.co/KM9uHc2nxF
DeSantis hits single digits in Republican primary: poll The Florida governor on Monday placed second in Iowa, where he had invested heavily, and trailed former President Donald Trump by roughly 30 points. Read more ⬇️ https://t.co/c9ATSSAm8M
⬇️⬇️⬇️ Ron DeSantis Regrets Snubbing Media During Campaign: ‘I Should Have Gone on Everything’ The Florida governor is amping up interviews ahead of next week’s New Hampshire primary. https://t.co/pDHJUcFOSw
If DeSantis drops out, his voters migrate to Trump. If Haley drops out, her voters migrate to DeSantis. Drop out, Haley.
DeSantis regrets early media strategy: 'We had an opportunity' DeSantis on Monday placed a distant second in the Iowa Caucus, trailing former President Donald Trump. He has refused to drop out of the race thus far. Read more ⬇️ https://t.co/Un90ya7gmk
Nevada governor endorses Trump after saying he wouldn’t make primary pick https://t.co/UTd35ZLANx
DeSantis Team Downsizing, Focus on South Carolina https://t.co/bLuo9bcCVm
DeSantis regrets anti-media strategy: 'I should have gone on everything' https://t.co/XF7IiT5xVg via @politico by @leonardkl
Gov. Ron DeSantis reflected on what his campaign could have done differently after he placed a distant second in the Iowa caucuses. https://t.co/LtjwfN25oc
REGARDING TRUMP / DESANTIS: Anything is possible in politics. Reagan and Bush HATED each other and would have sworn to NEVER join forces, yet they did and went on to win two landslide victories together. I'm not saying that pairing is likely but it's the only way I'd vote for…
IF DESANTIS IS NOT ON THE 2024 TICKET: DeSantis supporters band together and deny Trump the White House. WE CONTROL HIS FATE! 4 yrs of RFK Jr with a Republican House and Senate would be tolerable and we could forever banish Trump from our politics!
So here's the plan. Ride or die DeSantis all the way to the Convention. Hopefully take second in SC and make this a 2 man race. If DeSantis eventually says no mas, shift focus to RFK Jr and down-ballot races. Under no circumstances shall Trump be allowed to set foot in the…
In latest @RonDeSantis setback, Nevada Gov. @JoeLombardoNV endorses @RealDonaldTrump Reporting by @AGGancarski https://t.co/sfqgeL4xhh #FlaPol https://t.co/do9w6QH3KM
IF DESANTIS IS NOT ON THE 2024 TICKET: DeSantis supporters band together and can deny Trump the White House. WE CONTROL HIS FATE! 4 yrs of JFK Jr with a Republican House and Senate would be tolerable and we could forever banish Trump from our politics.
So here's the plan. Ride or die DeSantis all the way to the Convention. Hopefully take second in SC and make this a 2 man race. If DeSantis eventually says no mas, shift focus to JFK Jr and down-ballot races. Under no circumstances shall Trump be allowed to set foot in the…
Looking back with perfect hindsight, the DeSantis Campaign should not have focused on winning Iowa, NH or SC, but on placing second in each. After all, you were taking on a titular incumbent with 100% name ID. Hard to beat that. But what you can do is clear the rest of the…
DeSantis came into 2023 hot, thinking the praise he got from the right in 2022 would carry over. So he ignored the traditional media. Now he says he shouldn't have — but his problem was probably more that the right quickly fall back in line with Trump. https://t.co/Ay7v4IYJBX
DeSantis acknowledges he should have done more media, telling @hughhewitt, "I came in not really doing as much media. I should have just been blanketing. I should have gone on all the corporate shows. I should have gone on everything...But we had an opportunity, I think, to come…
WHO IS TO BLAME? CNN and ABC Have Canceled Republican Debates Ahead of the New Hampshire Primary Because Only Ron DeSantis is willing to debate, but he cannot debate himself. Nikki Haley says she will not debate without Trump. Trump says he does not need any debate to win. https://t.co/E3g4mEsUZm
DeSantis changes tune on mainstream media: ‘I should’ve gone on all the corporate shows’ https://t.co/6x454Qgia4
DeSantis Reveals What He 'Should Have' Done Early On In His Presidential Campaign https://t.co/i1IM1xz23H
🚨 Nevada Governor @JoeLombardoNV endorses President Donald J. Trump https://t.co/vdCjMVRtuv
Ron DeSantis is turning his sights to South Carolina, moving much of his presidential campaign staff there and assuring allies that he plans to stay in the Republican race for that late February contest after effectively surrendering in New Hampshire. https://t.co/OmvcjrsqEz
Haley on DeSantis shifting his focus to South Carolina: “He’s closer to zero than he is to me…We're focused on Trump. That's the key. We were focused on DeSantis in Iowa, we're no longer focused on him. It's Trump in New Hampshire and Trump in South Carolina.” https://t.co/t0Fiq0Mz2F
DeSantis faces a bleak path ahead as he shifts resources to S.C., via @KnowlesHannah https://t.co/9DIsHXJzPd
FL Gov. Ron DeSantis is focusing on South Carolina, assuring allies that he plans to stay in the Feb. 24 contest. But with Nikki Haley expected to outperform him in New Hampshire and South Carolina, doubts loom about his longevity. via @KnowlesHannah https://t.co/gmCVnQB2bW
DeSantis thinks he should've spent more time doing media and less time "on the ground" in Iowa. https://t.co/OQQ7RiYrA3
Ron DeSantis rejected claims of "skipping" New Hampshire, emphasizing a strategic addition of South Carolina after Iowa. https://t.co/ObWVCaoNgX https://t.co/tSo0XyoY53
“I should have just been blanketing. I should have gone on all the corporate [news] shows. I should have gone on everything … We had an opportunity, I think, to come out of the gate and do that and reach a much broader folk.” — Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) tells Hugh Hewitt https://t.co/uX9xpo0kpx
I think this is true to some degree, but I'm not sure those media appearances would have gone that well for him, looking at how his campaign unfolded. The more people saw DeSantis, the less they liked him. https://t.co/msPdRvgqDV
DeSantis focusing on SC makes perfect sense. He trails Haley by only 9 points there and if he can beat her in her home state, this becomes a 2 man race!
DeSantis skips New Hampshire days before primary to focus on South Carolina After former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dropped out, his supporters in New Hampshire are now primarily backing Haley. Read more ⬇️ https://t.co/hM0KeKFfxW
I don't expect DeSantis to win NH. He doesn't need to. He just needs to outperform by 8 points as he did in Iowa and take Haley down 4 or 5 points then ride that momentum into SC where Haley leads D by only 9 which requires just a 5 point flip to overcome. It's all about…
If DeSantis can outperform NH as he did in Iowa, that would put him at 15 causing Haley to underperform, then she limps into SC where she leads DeSantis by only 9 which requires only a 5% flip to overcome.
IMMEDIATE GOAL - Make this a two man race. Trump is around 50. Without DeSantis and Haley splitting votes, he becomes VERY BEATABLE.
The goal in NH and SC is not beating Trump. The goal is beating Haley and making this a two person race. If Haley falls to 3rd on SC she is done.
In the latest Trafalgar poll of SC, Haley leads DeSantis only 23 to 14. DeSantis over performed his polling in Iowa by 8 points. If Haley underperforms in NH and DeSantis overperforms, DeSantis could ride that into SC and beat Haley there - it would only take a 5 point flip. If…
Haley is the target in NH. Trump will be after her. DeSantis will be after her. If Haley underperforms and DeSantis over performs, DeSantis can ride that momentum into SC, beat Haley there and suddenly we have a two man race, Trump vs DeSantis!
If Trump becomes the nominee, God forbid, I will never vote for him stand alone. I'll vote for RFK Jr and GOP down ballot. However if he were to tap Governor DeSantis as his VP and DeSantis were to agree, I would vote for that ticket. DeSantis could balance Trump out and keep…
DeSantis campaigns in New Hampshire, but most of his staff moves to focus on South Carolina https://t.co/9QS8YtuxAC
Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign, began staff layoffs on Wednesday. An official... Read more: https://t.co/b1DSSWnIPb ⬆️ ⬆️ ⬆️
As I told @RonDeSantis when I LOOMERED him inside his hotel in Iowa this week, “you’re going to lose! 14% in Iowa, 5% in New Hampshire!” Once again, I am right. He lost the Iowa Caucus & check out these polls today! 5% IN NEW HAMPSHIRE!! Everything I told him came true. 👇🏻🏆 https://t.co/ajpPR1074E https://t.co/OrQbrCFlid
DeSantis Shifts to South Carolina to Take On Nikki Haley on Her Turf https://t.co/LALlMAVxkw
Fake news? @RealDonaldTrump claims @RonDeSantis dropped out of Nevada caucuses. Reporting by @AGGancarski https://t.co/QBgVY6d8j6 #FlaPol https://t.co/PTWXig7iuZ
Ron DeSantis and his allies moved to shake up his operation yet again, with his super PAC carrying out layoffs and the campaign signaling that it would largely bypass New Hampshire’s primary election next week in favor of competing in South Carolina. https://t.co/V2px6SxWl3
5% is embarrassing. No wonder why @RonDeSantis has given up on New Hampshire and went to South Carolina. https://t.co/tc91eFc2Z9
Ron DeSantis pins his White House hopes on the South Carolina primary: Republican to leave New Hampshire (and may not come back) as he shifts most of his staff to Nikki Haley's home state https://t.co/SZoIIQcKwQ https://t.co/C9E3cFrJV7
The super PAC supporting #Florida @GovRonDeSantis . in the presidential race began carrying out layoffs on Wednesday, even as the campaign insisted he had a path forward. https://t.co/vr9c8Pkufp via @ShaneGoldmacher, @kellen_browning, @maggieNYT & @NickNehamas
.@RonDeSantis shifts his campaign away from New Hampshire days before the state’s Primary Reporting by @AP https://t.co/Sd5OYxFnjO #FlaPol
Ron DeSantis heading to Florida tonight after campaigning in New Hampshire. He’ll be back in the state on Friday and then head to South Carolina for weekend events there.
Hearing that the @RonDeSantis campaign is requesting media that’s been with them on the campaign trail come to Tallahassee on Thursday. I wonder if he’s going to drop out, or if he’s trying to take attention away from the fact that he’s given up on New Hampshire by going back…