Members of Trump’s inner circle distance themselves from his 2024 run
Donald Trump continues to see a drop in allied support and a refusal from members of his former inner circle to support his 2024 candidacy.
Of the nine former Trump campaign officials contacted by CNNonly three said they publicly plan to support the former president’s third consecutive White House bid.
Corey Lewsandowski, once Trump’s top trusted campaign manager, is reportedly privately pitching potential Republican candidates to face the former president in the primary, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Gov. from South Dakota, Kristi Noem.
Lewandowski, a New Hampshire resident, was not with Trump during his visit to the Granite State in January. However, the former Trump aide insists that he has not “courted any other Republican presidential candidate.”
Former senior Trump administration official Ken Cuccinelli launched a super PAC on Thursday with the goal of having DeSantis elected president in 2024, even though the governor has yet to announce his candidacy.
Donald Trump is losing the support of his inner circle as former aides and advisers refuse to weigh in or fully engage with other Republican 2024 candidates.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, once Trump’s White House press secretary, told Trump in a recent phone call that she was not ready to impose an endorsement after he requested it, according to a report in the New York Times.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served as Trump’s White House press secretary and was one of his strongest supporters during his tenure, has refused to take sides in the upcoming presidential election.
Trump recently called Sanders for her endorsement, the New York Times reported earlier this month, but she wasn’t ready to wade into the waters of a 2024 endorsement.
“I love the president, I have a great relationship with him,” Sanders told Fox News in January. “I know our country would be infinitely better off if he were in office right now instead of Joe Biden, but right now my focus is not 2024, but here in Arkansas.”
Alexa Henning, a spokeswoman for Sanders, told CNN that her comment is still valid two months later.
The distancing from Trump comes as the 2024 primary race heats up and reports surface that DeSantis will announce his candidacy starting in May. The leader of The Sunshine State has begun touring the country and visiting key states, such as Iowa and New Hampshire, which indicate that an announcement is imminent.
Two former advisers contacted by CNN say they want to remain neutral on the 2024 race, while three others declined to comment publicly.
Former spokeswoman for Trump’s 2016 campaign, Katrina Pierson, was non-committal to the endorsement.
Corey Lewsandowski, once Trump’s top trusted campaign manager, is privately pitching potential Republican candidates to face the former president in the primary, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and South Dakota Gov. , Kristi Noem, according to CNN.
Former senior Trump administration official Ken Cuccinelli launched a super PAC Thursday to get Gov. Ron DeSantis elected president in 2024.
Lewandowski has been by the former president’s side on many of his trips to New Hampshire, but opted out of Trump’s first visit there in his 2024 presidential bid despite being invited to attend.
While many see this as his continued estrangement from Trump, Lewandowski says it was just bad timing.
“It was over 1,500 miles away and Mr. Trump knew it very well,” Lewandowski told CNN.
He added that his relationship with Trump “has never changed in the last eight years,” although more than a dozen people in Trump’s orbit noticed a change.
Another stab in the back is Cuccinelli starting a PAC directly aimed at getting Trump’s biggest rival elected as the Republican nominee in 2024.
The NEVER BACK DOWN PAC filed papers in late February with the Federal Election Commission and is now the fourth political committee created to encourage DeSantis to run.
“I have been speaking with many grassroots conservative activists across the country who are very excited about Governor DeSantis’ 2024 run for president,” Cuccinelli said in a statement about the formation of the PAC.
“The energy is there, the governor is seen by grassroots conservatives as a leader and a fighter with a winning conservative record who will lead the Republican Party to victory in 2024. Based on those conversations, I am confident we will build a foundation that is second to none.” political army for Governor DeSantis to help get him into the White House.
Trump still clings to some tried-and-true supporters within his inner circle, including Jason Miller, who worked on his 2016 and 2020 campaigns; social media guru Dan Scavino; and Steve Bannon