Never Back Down PAC founder Ken Cuccinelli argued Thursday on Newsmax that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' GOP presidential campaign made the right decision to downsize.
Sparring with "Rob Schmitt Tonight" guest host Matt Gaetz, a Republican congressman from Florida, the head of the pro-DeSantis group defended the campaign after it cut over 40% of its original staff.
"I don't think anything's gone wrong. I think they're right to get leaner, and as they said, take a leaner, more insurgent approach," Cuccinelli said, adding that he "doesn't know of a July before where the leader actually won the nomination."
DeSantis' campaign said it made the moves after "a top-to-bottom review" of the organization, with one source telling news outlets that they "were just bloated" and needed to offload people.
The Florida governor has struggled thus far in the 2024 primary. At one point, he only trailed former President Donald Trump by around two percentage points. Since February, however, that margin has widened to nearly 37 percentage points.
Still, Cuccinelli pledged that the Never Back Down PAC would stay loyal to DeSantis through the thick and thin of the primary season when pressured by Gaetz on the matter.
"We're committed solely to electing Ron DeSantis for president," stressed Cuccinelli, a deputy secretary of homeland security in the Trump administration. "That means becoming the nominee first and becoming the president second. And then getting reelected president."
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