DeSantis super PAC asked donors for $50 million, revealed campaign strategies before debate

Never Back Down, a super PAC aligned with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, asked Republican donors to help raise $50 million just hours before he walked onto the stage for the first Republican primary debate on Aug. 23.

Leaked audio from a pre-debate meeting in Milwaukee, obtained by CNN, showed Never Back Down CEO Chris Jankowski asking donors to help get $50 million by the end of the year, and even more by the end of March.

“We just need your help getting $50 million more by the end of the year, and $100 million more by the end of March,” Mr. Jankowski was heard saying on the audio. “I’m not worried about the second 50. We need the first 50.”

About $25 million will be spent on television ads between Labor Day and Halloween in New Hampshire and Iowa to rake in support, he said.

In an hourlong meeting, Mr. Jankowski, chief operating officer Kristin Davison and chief strategist Jeff Roe discussed their outlook on how Mr. DeSantis is looking ahead of the Jan. 15, 2024, Iowa caucus, according to CNN. They told donors that the Florida governor is falling short in media exposure, and that they are pushing to lean more on Mr. DeSantis’s wife, Casey DeSantis.

The Washington Times has not independently reviewed the recording. The Times reached out to Mr. DeSantis’ campaign and the Never Back Down super PAC for comment.

Mr. DeSantis is generally ranked number two in national and early state polling, but he trails Mr. Trump by at least 25 to 30 points in most polls.

The audio also revealed campaign strategies for Mr. DeSantis, including what they’re calling the “DeSantis index,” which they use to find the likelihood that someone will vote for him.

Roughly 60 donors — a mix of backers of Mr. DeSantis and longtime GOP donors, according to the audio — were in the room with the PAC officials. Attendees included former President Donald Trump’s former finance co-chief, Roy Bailey.

The presentation given by PAC officials focused on Mr. Trump’s performance and how he is miles ahead of the other GOP candidates.

“We can’t lose to Trump,” Mr. Roe told the donors. “If Trump’s the nominee, we’re gonna lose the White House. If we lost the White House, we’re gonna lose the Senate, and if we lost the Senate, we’re gonna lose the House. And [Democrats] are going to be in charge of the full House, Senate and White House for at least two years.”

In the audio, Mr. Roe brought up Democrats potentially adding two new states if they could, including Puerto Rico. In 2018, Mr. DeSantis co-sponsored a bill that would allow Puerto Rico to apply to be a state.

Mr. Trump responded to this information Friday on his platform, Truth Social, asking if anyone has inquired of Mr. DeSantis why he supported this bill.

“[The bill] would almost certainly lead to two new Democrats in the U.S. Senate and a permanent majority for Dems,” Mr. Trump wrote. “Why would any Republican who cares about saving our country support this???”

The PAC officials discussed using Mr. DeSantis’s background to attract voters, framing him as a family man, a “blue-collar worker,” and the only veteran in the race.

The PAC representatives also boasted about how their “role is really new and it’s even grown to play a role like no PAC in presidential history.”

“We are hosting events,” Mr. Jankowski said. “We’ve been doing fundraising online. We are doing advertising. We have built a political program in the early states and beyond like none other. And, you know, simply put, Never Back Down is changing the game.”