With the Iowa Republican Party caucuses still looming and polls not looking good, the chances of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) catching front-runner Donald Trump have all but disappeared — and at least one campaign insider is already waving the white flag.
DeSantis, who attempted to shore up his floundering campaign in a debate with Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) on Thursday night, has not seen any bumps in the polls after multiple Republican debates — which Trump avoided — and after spending millions on a campaign that has gone nowhere.
Adding to his problems, former Gov. Niki Haley (R-SC) has moved into the number two spot of GOP nominees trying to wrest the mantle away from Trump and this week landed the backing of the powerful political network helmed by Charles Koch.
According to a report from the Washington Post, the hits to the DeSantis campaign just keep on coming and, as far as some campaign staffers are concerned, "It's over."
With the Post reporting that DeSantis campaign officials are facing a "gloomy" future, the insider admitted, "People increasingly think it’s over. It’s a dumpster fire."
The report notes that the loss of Koch support, which had backed the Florida governor's bid, was a devastating blow in multiple ways including a report from the Koch flagship Americans for Prosperity that there was little evidence Trump voters would flock to his side if the former president dropped out for health or legal reasons.
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Adding to that are the growing reports of finger-pointing and backstabbing in the DeSantis camp, with the Post reporting, "DeSantis and some of his advisers have criticized Never Back Down, the primary super PAC supporting him, according to several people familiar with the comments."
"Never Back Down officials have expressed their own concerns: CEO Chris Jankowski quit last week while saying his job had become untenable and alluding to problems 'well beyond a difference of strategic opinion.'"
In what could be taken as a backhanded compliment, one diehard DeSantis supporter said a decent showing in Iowa could keep the campaign afloat, telling the Post, "The best thing he’s got going for him is the expectations for him are so low.”
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