A memo for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign labeled “CONFIDENTIAL” and “NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION” has looked to hush concerns over his 2024 bid as he faces questions about his performance in national polls.
The “FAMILY AND FRIENDS UPDATE” memo, shared by NBC News, declares that the ballot is “very fluid” for the governor as he sets his sights on the primaries next year.
“Early state voters are only softly committed to the candidates they select on a ballot question this far out —including many Trump supporters,” the memo reads.
“Our focus group participants in the early states even say they don’t plan on making up their mind until they meet the candidates or watch them debate.”
It adds that former President Donald Trump and DeSantis “remain the only viable options” for a majority of the primary electorate and particularly takes aim at Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.).
“While Tim Scott has earned a serious look at this stage, his bio is lacking the fight that our electorate is looking for in the next President,” reads the memo, which refers to “low to no interest” in several other candidates.
The memo surfaced following a number of media appearances by the governor where he blamed his lagging national poll performance behind Trump on the media, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and “narratives.”
Trump leads DeSantis by an average of over 28% across national polls, according to FiveThirtyEight.
DeSantis’ campaign, later in the memo, claims it makes the contrast between President Joe Biden and the governor “clear” before criticizing Trump along with his family.
“While Trump is always the most efficient driver of his own negatives, there are numerous other persuasion narratives that can and should be exploited on him,” the memo reads.
“Soft Trump voters and America First conservatives do not look kindly on Trump’s record on guns, the deficit and spending, Transgenderism, and his family’s his cozy relationship with the Saudi Royal Family.”
The campaign outlines elsewhere how it plans to compete in early-voting states.
“Ron DeSantis is running a campaign to win everywhere. It would be a mistake to take a paid media and field program off the table in service of other states, we will not cede New Hampshire,” reads the document, which praises a “robust” Pro-DeSantis effort in the states.
“While Super Tuesday is critically important, we will not dedicate resources to Super Tuesday that slow our momentum in New Hampshire. We expect to revisit this investment in the Fall.”
You can read more details on the memo via NBC News’ report.