Testing the Resilience of DeSantis’ Campaign: Financial Hurdles or Indicative of Decline?

The presidential campaign of Ron DeSantis is currently navigating through turbulent financial waters. The campaign has been forced to implement stringent cost-cutting measures, including the elimination of over a third of its payroll, as it strives to regain traction in the GOP primary.

In an effort to streamline operations, 38 positions across various departments have been axed. This includes 10 event planning roles that were publicly announced a few weeks ago, and the recent departures of senior advisors Dave Abrams and Tucker Obenshain.

Generra Peck, DeSantis’ campaign manager, stated that these aggressive steps were taken to put DeSantis in the strongest position to win the primary and defeat Joe Biden.

This photo sums up DeSantis’s campaign perfectly. Did he really think he could beat the king?

Great photo find: @MAGADevilDog pic.twitter.com/V0otRHNIMN

— MAGS (@TAftermath2020) August 7, 2023

However, the campaign’s financial struggles have led to speculation about its viability. More than a third of the team was let go as they faced an uphill battle in the early rounds of the GOP primary. This move followed the dismissal of roughly a dozen staffers less than two months into the campaign, raising questions about the campaign’s stability.

Some Republican sources have criticized the campaign’s initial strategy, arguing that too many people were hired too quickly, leading to an unsustainable burn rate. Despite warnings, the campaign manager reportedly dismissed these concerns. As a result, some donors are expressing dissatisfaction with the campaign’s performance, stating that DeSantis has not ignited the political landscape as expected.

One of the most significant blows to the campaign came from Robert Bigelow, the biggest individual donor to the pro-DeSantis super PAC “Never Back Down.” Bigelow, the founder of Las Vegas-based Bigelow Aerospace, decided to withhold further financial support until DeSantis can secure additional substantial donors and adopt a more moderate policy agenda.

You must be a special kind of useful idiot for Team DeSantis. Trump’s FEC filings, show clearly his campaign is a well oiled machine. https://t.co/PZlQFzyydG pic.twitter.com/5j1YQKK1Yq

— MAGS (@TAftermath2020) August 7, 2023

Bigelow’s decision was influenced by his concerns over DeSantis’s increasingly right-wing approach and his inability to present a formidable challenge to former President Trump’s commanding lead for the 2024 Republican nomination. He believes DeSantis needs to shift his focus towards moderates to stand a chance in the election, stating extremism won’t get him elected.

This development has sparked debates about DeSantis’s political strategy. His recent decision to sign a bill passed by the Florida legislature banning abortions after six weeks, enacted after Bigelow’s hefty donation, has been particularly controversial. Bigelow communicated his opposition to this move to DeSantis’s campaign, emphasizing he will not resume funding until DeSantis proves he can raise money independently.

As the DeSantis campaign grapples with these challenges, it remains to be seen whether these financial hurdles will serve as a test of resilience or a sign of decline. Regardless, the campaign’s ability to adapt to these circumstances will undoubtedly shape its future trajectory in the GOP primary.

This article appeared in Our Patriot and has been published here with permission.