(TheIndependentStar.com) – Focusing on all political angles to ensure a decisive win, Make America Great Again Inc., the super PAC supporting former President Donald Trump, has allocated more financial resources towards ads targeting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 rival, than Joe Biden.
This strategic expenditure comes despite Trump’s considerable lead in the GOP field, averaging over 40 points above his competitors.
According to Rob Pyers, Research Director for the California Target Book, MAGA Inc.’s expenditure surpasses $23 million on campaigns opposing DeSantis, dwarfing the over $6.7 million spent against Biden.
This significant imbalance in spending highlights Trump’s focus on internal party dynamics, countering the narrative that his campaign is solely concentrated on defeating Biden. Trump’s approach includes evading GOP debates and emphasizing a direct assault on his primary challengers.
Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for MAGA Inc., conveyed a clear message regarding their strategy: “The spending will stop when Ron DeSantis goes back to doing what he was elected to do — govern the state of Florida.”
Trump himself has advocated for the Republican National Committee to eschew debates, emphasizing his reluctance to engage with candidates he deems unfit for the presidency, as stated in his interview with Tucker Carlson.
Data reveals that DeSantis is the primary focus of negative advertising among the candidates, with expenditures exceeding $25 million from various supporters of other potential White House contenders. Biden ranks second, facing $20.2 million in attack ads from the 2024 field.
Contrastingly, Never Back Down, the super PAC backing DeSantis, has refrained from targeting Biden in its advertising campaigns. Instead, it has focused on Trump and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. A source familiar with Never Back Down’s strategy noted, “Negative spending against DeSantis is over $30M at this point when you include digital and mail as well.”
MAGA Inc.’s current ad campaign specifically criticizes Biden, starkly comparing his administration and Trump’s tenure. The ad asserts, “President Trump made us safer, wealthier and more secure… But bumbling Biden has made a mess.”
The attack ads against DeSantis by MAGA Inc. have scrutinized various aspects of his Congressional record, ranging from his stance on Social Security and Medicare to his position on Puerto Rican statehood and what they term his “pudding fingers.”
Trump maintains a commanding lead in the GOP primary race, with RealClearPolitics data indicating an average support of 59% compared to DeSantis’ 14.8%. However, polls suggest a closer contest between Trump and Biden, with a recent Fox News survey showing Trump edging out Biden by a narrow margin of 50% to 46%.
