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Ron DeSantis expands his circle as he prepares to run for president
NBC News ^ | By Natasha Korecki, Henry J. Gomez and Matt Dixon | May 17, 2023

Posted on 05/17/2023 2:07:03 PM PDT by conservative98

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is notorious for running a top-down operation, consulting on key matters with only a small, select group, including his wife.

But as he tries to launch a presidential campaign amid weeks of bad headlines, flagging poll numbers and donors’ threatening to jump ship, his campaign-in-waiting is acknowledging that the closed-off practice isn’t working so well.

Behind the scenes, aides are reassuring supporters that DeSantis’ circle of advisers is expanding to add more operatives with presidential campaign experience — and that DeSantis is listening to them, according to three people with direct knowledge of the matter.

“Before, people would make suggestions, but he’d still call the shots,” said a Republican donor who was briefed by a DeSantis adviser on next steps. “He’s beginning to take advice from people who know what they’re doing.” That was essential, this person said, “particularly after he got beat up so badly after Ukraine.”

Aside from loosening his tight-knit circle, Team DeSantis is taking special care to court donors, inviting bundlers to the Four Seasons in Miami next week for a retreat aimed at pumping up his campaign war chest for his official launch. Some donors had complained of a lack of communication from DeSantis.

[cut]

Another Republican familiar with recent internal conversations said Michael Biundo, the national campaign manager for Rick Santorum’s 2012 presidential bid and a senior adviser to Trump’s 2016 campaign, has had discussions about joining the DeSantis team.

DeSantis’ core political team in Tallahassee has been growing, and this week, aides moved to new office space. But the lion’s share of the work to promote him as a White House contender has fallen to Never Back Down, a super PAC heavy on advisers to Sen. Ted Cruz’s unsuccessful bid for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2024; caseydesantis; cruzcrew; desantis; karlrove; santorum; teamdesantis
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1 posted on 05/17/2023 2:07:03 PM PDT by conservative98
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To: conservative98
As he moves to launch a White House run, the famously closed-off DeSantis is "beginning to take advice from people who know what they’re doing," said one source.



Bring it on, boys.

2 posted on 05/17/2023 2:07:30 PM PDT by conservative98
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To: conservative98

2024 will be very interesting.


3 posted on 05/17/2023 2:10:38 PM PDT by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: conservative98

Is that why Trump is still railing about him on TRUTH Social even today? Odd how little he says about, say, Nikki Haley, almost like he fears one beating him next year a lot more than the other.


4 posted on 05/17/2023 2:11:28 PM PDT by Trump20162020
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To: Trump20162020

Nikki Haley though repellant, hasn’t been targeting Trump like DeSantis.


5 posted on 05/17/2023 2:12:45 PM PDT by JayGalt (Convenience is the bait in which the true poison is concealed.)
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To: Trump20162020

DeSantis ain’t beating Trump. The only one who can beat Trump (in the primary at least) is Trump himself.


6 posted on 05/17/2023 2:13:41 PM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Trump20162020

Well goll-ee, you are the only person talking about Nikki Haley today.


7 posted on 05/17/2023 2:15:09 PM PDT by dforest
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To: conservative98

Good, I’m on team may the best man win Competition is good.


8 posted on 05/17/2023 2:27:18 PM PDT by cowboyusa (YESHUA IS KING OF AMERICA! AMERICA FIRST1 DEATH TO MARXISM AND GLOBALISM!)
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To: conservative98

Just another career politician getting ready for another traditional, consultant driven campaign. Compare that to Trump’s first primary campaign. He had a bare bones staff who worked out of the basement of Trump tower for much of the time. And guess who was in charge of messaging and all around campaign strategy? Trump.


9 posted on 05/17/2023 2:31:02 PM PDT by mbrfl (That's my Governor! Yes, that's right. That over-hyped Establishment tool is my Governor.)
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To: mbrfl

Yeah, but his WH Staff picks were awful. He never should have gotten rid of Bannon.


10 posted on 05/17/2023 2:32:23 PM PDT by cowboyusa (YESHUA IS KING OF AMERICA! AMERICA FIRST1 DEATH TO MARXISM AND GLOBALISM!)
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To: JayGalt
When has DeSantis ever targeted Trump?

Meanwhile...

Trump bashes DeSantis for signing heartbeat abortion ban: It's 'too harsh'

11 posted on 05/17/2023 2:34:33 PM PDT by Timber Rattler ("To hold a pen is to be at war." --Voltaire)
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To: Trump20162020

It’s no surprise that Trump does not attack Haley or the other single digit candidates. He needs them in the race to pick off 4 -6 % of the vote in the early primaries. That enables him to prevail with plurality victories, as he did in 2016. On the other hand, he fears DeSantis, thus his continued scorched earth approach to denigrate him at every turn. DeSantis was well received in Iowa last week, which no doubt has driven Trump bonkers.


12 posted on 05/17/2023 2:41:27 PM PDT by pkajj
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To: Timber Rattler

LOL. Selective memory or selective definitions. Not going to play your game. Those who can’t keep up need to educate themselves.


13 posted on 05/17/2023 2:45:07 PM PDT by JayGalt (Convenience is the bait in which the true poison is concealed.)
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To: Trump20162020

Trump is running aginst the Bush-Cheney never Trumper Machine. A whole lot of financial support in that group and a lot of experience.


14 posted on 05/17/2023 2:47:00 PM PDT by silent majority rising
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To: conservative98
...flagging poll numbers and donors’ threatening to jump ship, his campaign-in-waiting is acknowledging that the closed-off practice isn’t working so well. Behind the scenes, aides are reassuring supporters that DeSantis’ circle of advisers is expanding to add more operatives with presidential campaign experience

"Flagging" (decreasing) poll numbers and an "expanding circle of advisers"?

Sounds inorganic to me.

Watch out folks, here comes the highly paid circle of advisors and establishment hacks.

Crush that organic Trump ground swell!

Go establishment advisors!

Go Ron go!

15 posted on 05/17/2023 2:56:19 PM PDT by FreeReign
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To: conservative98

NBC and FNC want Ron to run for president, BAD! They have no fear of DeSantis, and they’re scared to death that Trump will win again and start tearing down the house of cards the left has built in our govt.

Just another example of why we should stick with Trump. It may be our only real hope.


16 posted on 05/17/2023 3:01:21 PM PDT by Bullish (Either we don't see it coming or they don't... But somebody's got it coming.)
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To: JayGalt

What’s Nikki Haley got to do with anything, she doesn’t have any chance at all.


17 posted on 05/17/2023 3:03:24 PM PDT by Bullish (Either we don't see it coming or they don't... But somebody's got it coming.)
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To: cowboyusa

Trump listened to too many people he thought he should be able to trust. He won’t be making that mistake again.


18 posted on 05/17/2023 3:05:02 PM PDT by Bullish (Either we don't see it coming or they don't... But somebody's got it coming.)
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To: JayGalt
So burying your head in the sand is the answer?

Trump’s weird answer on DeSantis and abortion

19 posted on 05/17/2023 3:06:15 PM PDT by Timber Rattler ("To hold a pen is to be at war." --Voltaire)
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To: pkajj

Are you kidding? You fault Trump for telling the truth to voters about DeSantis? Trump doesn’t need to lie, and he doesn’t. But you have a problem with that? He doesn’t need to say jack about nikki Haley or any of the other also rans... But the voters do need to know the truth about Rino Ronny boy.


20 posted on 05/17/2023 3:09:08 PM PDT by Bullish (Either we don't see it coming or they don't... But somebody's got it coming.)
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