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“We are well known, but we are not known well.”
59%
The Morning Consult tracking poll after Donald Trump has been indicted three times shows the former president leading the GOP primary field nationally with 59%, followed by Ron DeSantis at 16%, Vivek Ramaswamy at 8%, Mike Pence at 6%, Nikki Haley at 3%, Tim Scott at 3% and Chris Christie at 3%.
45%
About half of Republicans would not vote for Donald Trump if he were convicted of a felony, a sign of the severe risks his legal problems pose for his 2024 presidential bid, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
“At the first Republican debate, Mike Pence‘s competitors should be asked if they believe what he did on January 6th was heroic. Then, having recorded everyone’s answer, ask if they would’ve done the same thing.”
“For a campaign that promised allies a new approach while shedding staff amid a cash crunch and declining poll numbers, the meet-and-greet with homebuilders was just one of a string of events in Iowa and New Hampshire in recent days that were distinctive less for any change in DeSantis’ tack than for the appearance of waning interest in his candidacy. … At least at the outset, DeSantis has reset in name only.”
“I used to call him a pig but at least a pig has bacon.”
— Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), speaking about Donald Trump.
“It’s been a long, harrowing fortnight for Ron DeSantis, the former putative political wunderkind who I’ve been reporting for months was more of a Republican donor’s fantasy of a candidate than an actual voter’s. But after watching DeSantis shed 38 staffers, and after assessing days of leaked memos and background quotes promising a great reset, those heavily invested in the DeSantasy are now wondering if it’s time to jump ship, and to whom.”
“If people will get 100 donations, then we’ll put them on the payroll in the sense of an independent contractor, and they’ll get a percent of what we raise.”
— “Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson pledged to offer kickbacks to donors or those who procure donors in a bid to make the first primary debate next month,” National Journal reports.
“The bad DeSantis news doesn’t mean he’s dead. But he’s entered a familiar cycle that often ends in collapse: A candidate is hyped up as a top contender, struggles in the polls, and then scrambles to reset a flagging campaign as donors and voters alike parse every move for signs of weakness — or strength. … Donors are a key group for DeSantis, who is more reliant on big Republican money than Trump. And while the weekend shakeup placated some, it’s caused others to grow even more uneasy.”
$7.9 million
“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tapped out top donors and burned through $7.9 million in his first six weeks as a presidential candidate,“ NBC News reports. “The numbers suggest, for the first time, that solvency could be a threat to DeSantis’ campaign, which has touted its fundraising ability as a key measure of viability. They reflect the broader reality that DeSantis stalled after his launch: polling ahead of the Republican primary pack but far behind former President Donald Trump.”
