Despite its hefty lead in the polls, the Donald Trump campaign isn’t holding back on Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The Trump campaign attacked DeSantis in a Sunday memo sent to media and supporters. The email argues that DeSantis has just 30 days to turn his campaign around, a tongue-in-cheek reference to a countdown clock that a DeSantis strategist used in a pitch to supporters ahead of the first Republican debate. It comes just a few days before the GOP field faces off for the second debate of the cycle.
“With 30 days left to go, things haven’t gotten any better for Ron DeeSanctimonious, and in fact he’s fallen further behind President Trump,” reads the memo. “With nothing but icebergs on the horizon for Ron DeeSanctus, he might be entering his political ‘Green Mile.’”
The memo seizes on the latest polling and primary narratives, which haven’t been great for DeSantis. The Florida governor over the past week placed fifth and fourth place in polls in two New Hampshire polls. Meanwhile large national outlets like The Washington Post are beginning to swim circles around DeSantis’s campaign.
The memo places DeSantis’s September polling against his August numbers and suggests that Trump is expanding his lead while DeSantis is losing ground.
The Trump campaign says the “kiss of death” countdown that DeSantis strategist Jeff Roe spoke into existence is to blame. Roe reportedly told donors in August, ahead of the first debate, that DeSantis needed to beat Trump in 60 days. Half of that time period has lapsed, and the Trump campaign says Roe’s words hurt DeSantis.
“Before Roe’s August ‘Kiss of Death,’ President Trump led DeeSanctimonious in Iowa by double-digits, a lead that has only grown,” reads the memo.
The Trump campaign cites polling in August from Iowa, for example, that showed Trump leading DeSantis by 23 points. It then shares another poll published this week with DeSantis trailing the former President by 31 points.
The memo comes ahead of a Republican debate set for Wednesday night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
The Trump campaign attempted to set the tone for DeSantis’s performance.
“Literally nobody thinks DeeSanctimonious can count on an impressive performance to reverse his slide,” the memo reads. “You can’t coach personality!”
The post ‘30 days left’: Donald Trump campaign thinks Ron DeSantis is running out of time appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..