There’s no love lost between Donald Trump and Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis whose super PAC, Never Back Down, dropped his campaign ad calling Trump a ‘coward’ when it comes to gun control — just moments before the former president’s speech to the NRA .
The ad describes Trump as a “gun grabber” who has attacked the National Rifle Association.
Both Trump and DeSantis spoke at the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum along with a host of other Republican leaders — though Trump appeared in person in Indiana while DeSantis appeared via video.
The damaging ad accuses Trump of siding with anti-gun Democrats, naming President Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi.
It opens with an archive clip of Trump speaking at a previous NRA event with the narrator saying, “Trump promised the NRA members he would have his back. But when our Second Amendment rights came under attack, Trump abandoned us and sided with the liberal Democrats.
The Never Back Down Super PAC, which supports Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, released an ad attacking former President Trump and calling him a “gunspotter.”
The ad was shot down only moments earlier for the former president giving a speech to the NRA
The ad then shows clips of Trump supporting gun control measures such as ‘red flag’ laws and working with Democrats including Senator Dianne Feinstein on gun control.
It also likens some of Trump’s past statements on the issue of gun control to what liberals have said, portraying him as someone who has abandoned Second Amendment principles.
The voiceover states, “Trump chops and runs like a coward,” along with an image of a Breitbart headline describing Trump as a gun-slinger.
The ad concludes, “Trump the snap doesn’t deserve a second chance.”
The Trump campaign also released a political ad targeting DeSantis, albeit on completely unrelated political issues — but the timing of the governorship was clearly designed for maximum effect.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also spoke at the event, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, but virtually
DeSantis PAC ad accuses Trump of being a ‘gun snatcher’ who endorses anti-gun Democrats
The ad listed what the NRA considered a betrayal by Trump as it listed many of the Democrats he had stood with
The ad was designed to have maximum impact as it was released before Trump spoke
Despite this, it is clear that the rivalry between Trump and Diantis is heating up as the 2024 primaries approach.
DeSantis has not officially declared his candidacy for the 2024 presidential race, yet he is still seen as the main challenger to Trump in the Republican primary.
His speeches at various GOP events around the country led to large crowds and record fundraisers of supporters urging him to run.
The 44-year-old Rep. is an exceptional fundraiser with a war chest of $110 million.
But $80 million of that is tied to the Sunshine State, and cannot be funneled into a presidential campaign. DeSantis has yet to announce his intentions, though it seems almost certain he will.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has seen a huge rebound in opinion polls in the wake of his indictment on hush money charges and subsequent impeachment.
Trump, who was recently seen as a candidate as well, had his campaign turbocharged by the indictment of Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg, and he is once again raking in huge amounts of cash.
Donald Trump has enjoyed a massive rebound in the polls in the wake of his indictment on hush money charges, and his subsequent impeachment.
Trump, who was recently seen as a candidate as well, had his campaign turbocharged by the indictment of Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg, once again raking in huge sums of money.
Many grassroots Republicans and independents were also reminded of the former president’s sheer charisma and rawness, which even Democrats acknowledge as a force to be reckoned with.
DeSantis has so far kept several donors at arm’s length as they tour the country.
His isolation is said to have raised doubts about his ability to campaign nationally among some senior Republicans and engage in “fist and smile” dialogue.
But DeSantis’ defenders point to his competence as a lawmaker, and say the Florida governor has always prioritized working hard and getting results across networks.
When it comes to fundraising, he would be prohibited by law from diverting dollars raised by the state of Florida into a national presidential campaign.
No attempts to transfer funds to A “never back down” by the Super PAC will almost certainly raise red flags among campaign finance watchdogs.
DeSantis’ poll numbers seem to have slipped against Trump in recent weeks with 56% supporting Trump compared to just 23% supporting DeSantis.
despite of DeSantis’ nine-figure $110 million looks impressive, and big-dollar fundraising doesn’t always translate into victory.
Donors and strategists cite the examples of former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and former Governor Jeb Bush of Florida as warnings.
Bush was one of the first candidates to raise more than $100 million prior to his run in 2016 only for his run to fail early on.
There are several months before the primaries kick off in early 2024, but DeSantis will have to make a decision before Trump runs away with the GOP nomination for a third time.
