DeSantis ramps in-house staff trimming as Trump takes uncontested lead
2 Min Read
The US presidential candidate has reportedly fired over one-third of his campaign staff over recent publicity blows.
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Former US President Donald Trump [then President] stands behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at a rally in Pensacola, Florida, United States in November 2018 (AP)
Florida Governor and US presidential candidate Ron DeSantis sacked his campaign manager on Tuesday after polls indicated the widening gap with his main Republican rival former President Donald Trump.
An Emerson School survey, conducted earlier this month and published on Tuesday, showed that DeSantis garnered only 11 percent support compared to Trump's 58 percent, revealing a staggering 47 points gap between the governor and the frontrunner.
Recent reports said that DeSantis has fired so far over a third of his staffers over the disastrous numbers and as part of an internal campaign to cut overspending, amid a wave of negative publicity he is attracting due to his right-wing statements.
Read more: DeSantis revives WWII state guard, controls it as personal militia
His longtime chief of staff James Uthmeier replaced Generra Peck - who will stay as an advisor- while Iowa Republican operative David Polyansky was added to the new team.
This in-house shake-up comes just weeks ahead of the first candidates' debate on August 23.
"We are excited about these additions as we continue to spread the governor's message across the country. It's time to reverse our nation's decline and revive America's future," said DeSantis Spokesperson Andrew Romeo.
On Tuesday, Trump faced his most serious legal threat yet as he was indicted for his attempts to overturn the 2020 US election results while campaigning for a return to the White House in 2024.
The indictment also points to false claims made by Trump about winning the election, which were allegedly aimed at disenfranchising American voters.
The former President claims that the elections witnessed voter fraud, which was the reason he had lost against US President Joe Biden.
But DeSantis dismissed his opponent's allegations, only stating that the elections were not perfect.
The allegations accuse Trump of conspiring to defraud the United States and obstructing an official proceeding, specifically, the joint session of Congress held on January 6, 2021, to certify Joe Biden's election victory.
