A confidential memo obtained by NBC News shows Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign trying to reassure donors and laying out strategy ahead of an uphill battle for the 2024 Republican nomination.
The document, dated July 6, explains how the campaign will narrow in on early-voting states like New Hampshire and withhold investments in Super Tuesday states.
"Early state voters are only softly committed to the candidates they select on a ballot question this far out," the memo reads, adding that the campaign's focus groups "even say they don't plan on making up their mind until they meet the candidates or watch them debate.
"While Super Tuesday is critically important, we will not dedicate resources to Super Tuesday that slow our momentum in New Hampshire," it continued. "We expect to revisit this investment in the fall."
The memo takes shots at one of DeSantis' primary opponents, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who Politico reported earlier in the day had been courting the governor's wealthy donors as his poll numbers drop.
A FiveThirtyEight average has DeSantis at 21% in the primary, falling from a height of nearly 39% in February. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump's lead rides steady at just under 50%, with Scott at 3.2%.
"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. We expect Tim Scott to receive appropriate scrutiny in the weeks ahead," the DeSantis memo stated.
The New York Times reported several months ago that Republican megadonor and hedge fund manager Kenneth C. Griffin, who initially pledged to DeSantis, had been reevaluating the primary field.
Zia Ahmed, a spokesperson for Griffin, confirmed Wednesday to CNBC that the CEO "continues to access the field" but that nothing has changed recently.
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