The 2024 GOP presidential primary is gaining steam as Republican candidates try to make their case to the country.
So far, however, the primary contest centered around two candidates: Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, and former President Donald Trump, with Trump maintaining a large lead over the Florida governor in most polls.
DeSantis is now using one of Trump’s most famous quotes: “You’re fired.”
On Thursday, DeSantis fired several of his staffers because his campaign was spending too much money, according to NBC News. This comes as the Florida governor has seen his campaign sinking in polling data against Trump.
As of Friday, the FiveThirtyEight polling average showed Trump leading DeSantis by 28.7 points in the GOP primary.
The now-fired staffers worked with DeSantis to set up events, and some may soon join a DeSantis-allied outside group known as “Never Back Down,” a pro-DeSantis super PAC.
Additional staffers will likely lose their jobs in the coming weeks as the DeSantis team tries to free up cash spent, according to NBC.
The decision to fire the staffers comes as the pace of donations to the DeSantis team has slowed, according to Politico.
Politico reported that DeSantis’s campaign has received a hefty amount of donations from outside donors but has also spent a lot.
The campaign has reportedly spent $900,000 on merchandise, $883,000 on digital fundraising consulting, $867,000 for media placements, and $730,000 on direct mail as well as having to pay 90 staffers on the books.
DeSantis tapped out top donors and burned through $7.9 million in first six weeks, per NBC analysis.
The numbers suggest, for first time, that solvency could be a threat to DeSantis’ campaign.
More on Q2 via me, @bridgetbhc @bkamisar & @alexandramrqz https://t.co/RwqAyHNL9p
— Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) July 15, 2023
The DeSantis team will reportedly focus its efforts on Iowa because of the state’s first-in-the-nation nomination caucuses, according to NBC News.
If DeSantis were to win in Iowa, the GOP field would likely become smaller, giving the Florida governor a better chance at a one-to-one matchup with Trump.
Some individuals with connections to the DeSantis campaign are placing blame on manager Generra Peck for the financial situation.
“They never should have brought so many people on, the burn rate was way too high,” a Republican source familiar with the campaign said, according to NBC.
“People warned the campaign manager but she wanted to hear none of it.”
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