Mr. DeSantis' campaign has distanced itself from advice drawn up by his largest outside political group, Never Back Down. Credit: Reuters/Scott Morgan
Ron DeSantis' campaign has distanced itself from a debate advising him to «defend» Donald Trump and take the sledgehammer against upstart challenger Vivek Ramaswamy amid backlash from donors.
The Public Action Supercommittee (Pac), which supports the Florida governor, also challenged him to invoke Mr. Ramaswamy's Hindu faith, which was interpreted by some as a dog whistle against one of the few minority candidates in the 2024 Republican race.
It also prompted Mr. DeSantis to «attack Joe Biden and the media» at least three to five times and defend Mr. Trump.
A detailed memorandum focused on the party's first high-stakes debate in the coming weeks. caused anger and confusion among Mr. DeSantis' backers.The public action committee supporting the Florida governor also suggested that he appeal to the Hindu faith of pretender Vivek Ramaswamy. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP
One source said the response was «a chorus of people who think it was stupid.»
Mr. DeSantis' company has distanced itself from the advice, which was drawn up by his biggest outside political group, Never Back Down.
Andrew Romeo, DeSantis campaign spokesman, said: «This is not a campaign memo and we didn't know about it until the article was published.»
Hundreds of pages of candid advice, internal polling and debate advice were compiled by Never Back Down and quietly posted online by the consulting firm owned by its chief strategist Jeff Rowe.
US Election Law prohibits Super Pac from coordinating with candidates or their campaigns, but there is no ban on groups sharing information publicly.
The New York Times said it found the documents in a remote corner of the Internet on a tip-off. They were later removed.
Donald Trump has signaled he will miss Wednesday's debate. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty
They provide a rare insight into Mr. DeSantis' operation ahead of Wednesday night's debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which is seen as a critical moment for his campaign.
The 44-year-old has to fight an uphill battle on two fronts, trying to win over Trump supporters and fending off rivals Ramaswamy and Tim Scott, both of whom are rising in the polls.
One reminder. by Never Back Down advised Mr. DeSantis to hit Mr. Ramaswamy with a 'sledgehammer' to create a viral 'moment'.
He calls the 38-year-old American businessman a 'Hindu who grew up visiting relatives in India' and was deeply rooted in the Indian caste system.»
According to the New York Times, Mr. Ramaswamy is the only contestant in the debate whose «national or religious background» was mentioned in the documents.
'Ugly Hindu attack'
Indian American Pac called on Mr. DeSantis to 'disavow' what was called an 'ugly Hindu-phobic attack'.
The focus on Mr. Ramaswami highlights how a wealthy businessman threatens Mr. -on DeSantis, who is in second place in the race for Mr. Trump.
A Fox News poll this week showed Mr. Trump with 53%, Mr. DeSantis with 16%, and Mr. n Ramaswami — 11%.
Never Back Down defended its memo, saying it «emphasizes» that «Mr. Ramaswamy's government philosophy is a direct reflection of his life experience.»
Tricia McLaughlin, Mr. Ramaswamy's spokeswoman, said : Attacks on [Mr. Ramaswamy's] faith do not reflect the views of most Christians who respect Vivek's directness and honesty about his own faith.»
Meanwhile, Trump signaled he would miss Wednesday's debate, saying : «People know my record, one of the best in history, so why should I argue?»
According to The New York Times, Trump plans to edge out his rivals on Wednesday by interviewing former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson.
The interview is yet to be scheduled, but clashing with the debate would be a major rebuke for both Republican Party officials, and for its flagship company, Fox, which fired Carlson in April.
A rare victory for the legal team
The former president also called off a press conference he claimed to provide support for his unsubstantiated allegations of electoral fraud on the advice his lawyers.
It was a rare victory for Trump's legal team, which has struggled to curb his public comments about his criminal charges.
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According to CNN, Trump is due to turn himself in to the Fulton County Jail on the latest indictment in Georgia by Wednesday.
His surrender and arraignment is likely to be different from the previous three as the local sheriff suggested Mr. Trump be photographed and fingerprinted fingers.
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