Veteran Republican strategist John Thomas previously supported former President Donald Trump in the 2016 and 2020 races, but he’s now announced that he’s now backing Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) in the 2024 election, and backing him in a big way.
Thomas, the creator of the Ron to the Rescue super PAC, believes DeSantis, who hasn’t declared a presidential bid, gives Republicans the greatest chance of retaking the White House.
Furthermore he’s decided to put his money where his mouth is and is now planning to spend at least $50 million in the next six to 12 months to guarantee the governor defeats Trump, Thomas explained in an interview with the Washington Examiner.
The PAC launched on Nov. 14, just one day before Trump officially announced the beginning of his 2024 Presidential campaign.
Thomas also mentioned during the interview that in spite of his pro-DeSantis stance, he had been contacted by numerous self-described Trump supporters who still wanted to help his initiative.
According to Thomas, Ron to the Rescue would not only actively defend DeSantis from Trump through media appearances and ad buys, but will also build out a ground game throughout all
Thomas continued, stating that in spite of his new initiative he still likes Trump, but thinks the party needs to move toward leaders that can bring victory, something Trump hasn’t seemed to have done in the last several election cycles.
“I still like the guy. I just think he should move from a party leader to a party elder. That’s kind of the nuanced dynamic here that I want to make sure it’s not lost in the media, and also voters are reminded that it’s OK to vote for somebody else. It doesn’t mean you don’t like Trump. I think at the end of the day, particularly primary voters want to get excited about their nominee, but it really is a sport about winning. If you don’t win, you can’t enact your legislative agenda. It’s not just about rallies and having a good time. It’s about winning, and Trump has kind of called into question at best his ability to do that anymore.” Thomas said.
Thomas emphasized that if DeSantis fails to obtain the nomination or even enter the race, the PAC will be restructured to support Trump or whoever becomes the Republican nominee.
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