Allies of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis outlined a strategy for next week’s GOP presidential primary debate in a memo encouraging him to defend former President Donald Trump from attacks by rival Chris Christie and call upstart contender Vivek Ramaswamy “fake.”
The two-page memo, written by leaders of the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down, was published to the website of Axiom Strategies and dated Aug. 15. Axiom founder Jeff Roe also leads the pro-DeSantis’ super PAC.
“Defend Trump when Chris Christie attacks him,” the memo reads, adding a potential line for DeSantis to use on stage in Milwaukee against the former governor of New Jersey: “Trump isn’t here so let’s just leave him alone. He’s too weak to defend himself here. We’re all running against him. I don’t think we want to join forces with someone on this stage who’s auditioning for a show on MSNBC.”
On Ramaswamy, the 38-year-old businessman whose long-shot campaign has seen upward movement in the polls in recent weeks, the DeSantis allies write that the Florida governor needs to “take a sledge-hammer” to him, calling him “Fake Vivek” or “Vivek the Fake.”
The New York Times was first to report on the memo. Never Back Down did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Twitter, Ramaswamy called the attack plan “boring” and hit “Robot Ron” for “taking lame, pre-programmed attack lines against me for next week’s debate.”
The document offers an insider’s perspective into what DeSantis’ boosters believe he needs to accomplish on stage next Wednesday, listing among “four basic must dos” his defense of Trump and attack on Ramaswamy.
The memo states two additional overarching goals for DeSantis: Blast President Joe Biden and the press at least three to five times and give a positive vision for the country at least two or three times.
It also lists two approaches for when candidates on stage invoke DeSantis’ name and he is given a chance to respond, referring to the governor as “GRD.”
“1. When there is a core attack on GRD’s central candidacy (calling GRD a liberal, hitting veteran record, hitting conservative record), GRD should take the time, correct the record, and highlight the positive/dismiss the attacker if it’s a tier one candidate,” it read. “GRD can also pivot to hitting Joe Biden when possible.”
“2. If it’s not a core attack but GRD’s name is invoked, GRD should take the response opportunity to pivot and take up time,” the memo continued. “GRD should ignore the weak attack, not even address it, and instead pivot to message and vision and name check Iowa, New Hampshire, etc. voters directly. ‘Iowans/Americans, I’m talking directly to you now….’”
The memo offers a window into how DeSantis is planning for the upcoming contest, in which more than a half dozen candidates will battle on stage. Trump has signaled he is unlikely to attend, which would put DeSantis, currently a distant second behind Trump in most polls, at center stage and more likely to take incoming heat from rivals looking to leapfrog him in the race.
NBC News was made aware of the document’s existence by a person not connected to either the DeSantis campaign or the pro-DeSantis super PAC. It is not uncommon for super PACs to post such memos online, sometimes in hard-to-find places, as a way to get around laws barring coordination between super PACs and political campaigns.
While the memo calls on DeSantis to defend Trump from Christie’s attacks, it also urges DeSantis to convey himself as the leader best positioned to carry “the torch” of Trumpism forward.
“'He was a breath of fresh air and the first president to tell the elite where to shove it,” the memo reads, suggesting a potential line for the governor. “'But he was attacked all the time, provoked attacks all the time, and it was non-stop. The drama affected families. Trump’s drama pitted brother against brother, friend against friend. He’s got so many distractions that it’s almost impossible for him to focus on moving the country forward. This election is too important.”
Interestingly, the memo also implores DeSantis to make mention of a “personal anecdote” or “story about his family, children” and/or his wife, Casey DeSantis, while “showing emotion.”
Lmao. These Republicans are all so fucking weak man. Multiple polls came out this morning, showing they will be absolutely slaughtered next year in the House, Senate, and presidency if they continue down this path.
I’m all for it. I’d like to see multiple dems get shown the door and get some youth in both chambers as well.
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Attack Joe Biden and the press 3-5 times, give a positive view on the country 2-3 times. {Talk about policy and goals 0 times, never ever talk about policy}.
This could’ve been written by the onion. But I know it wasn’t
Now I’m no politician, but I don’t think someone running against a “return to normalcy” incumbent should be giving positive views of the country
It’s also not even any good. Like the “Fake Vivek” line, dude’s supporters would be laughed out of every writers room ever.
Hell, just the Robot Ron rejoinder against puddin fingers is so much better.
Trump would pull out something like “Venereal Vivek” and while the other candidates clutch their pearls he’ll make up some story about Vivek getting herpes from a truck stop bathroom and his supporters will laugh and cheer while Trump stands there with his dumbass smirk.
Oh my god watching these campaign think tanks try to replicate the trump nicknaming makes my sides hurt.
Republicans are like high school football players, they peaked in 2016 and can’t get past trying to live the glory days again.
Bruh. Whats so great about this is the schism that’s appeared between Trump supporters and literately everyone else.
The strategies that work on them just do not work outside of the cult. But you won’t get through the first primaries without them, you’ll need the cult for those races; can’t win without them, no one else dedicated enough. But you can’t win a general or maybe even later primaries with them.
They’re kinda fucked. They can either message for their base, or message for anyone else, but not both.
Well stated. If this memo is real, it just underscores how they’re running on nothing but fear.
It’s nice to think that some of the base and right-leaners could start realizing this, but that may just be my undying optimism flaring up.
Your a billionaire, donating to a SuperPAC in order to get your little bitch candidate elected to do your bidding. You spend millions expecting the top political minds to come up with brilliant strategies to help your puppet. You see the debate memo gets “leaked” and the PAC’s advice is for DeSantis to “take a sledgehammer” to another candidate by calling him “Fake Vivek” or “Vivek the Fake.” Are you getting fucking scammed?!
Well to be fair to DeSantis’ team he is a Fake Vivek because he isnt the Warrior-Poet God of Vvardenfell.
Yeah I must be out of the loop now… The only Vivek I know of is Morrowind’s… Dafuq does “fake Vivek” even mean?
Well the person is this guy running as part of the Republican primaries, but using the term “Fake Vivek” is trying to steal some of Trump’s uh magic? by using “clever” terms Trump’s base can actually remember like “Crooked Hillary” and “Sleepy Joe”. Which is about the most their brains can handle. Doesnt matter if it is true or even clever. It just has to be vaguely insulting/demeaning to “own the libs”.
I am simultaneously amused and horrified that these people need notes to remember to display emotion when talking about the topics that they’re supposed to care about. The conservative politicians are a whole pack of elite sociopaths battling for power while having no real objectives outside of making themselves even more powerful. They treat American politics like a game rather than a decision making process that will directly affect the lives of millions of people.
It is not uncommon for super PACs to post such memos online, sometimes in hard-to-find places, as a way to get around laws barring coordination between super PACs and political campaigns.
The fact that he’ll likely only face political consequences for this instead of legal ones is a shame
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BOBBBYYYYYYY NEWPOOOOOOORTT!!!
“I’m against crime and I’m not ashamed to admit it.”
I’m so glad my government is about as good as a Tuesday episode of WWE raw. This is all so incredibly embarrassing.
Defend Trump by calling him too weak to defend himself? I do think they need to highlight how much of a loser he is but I can’t see DeSantis actually doing it.
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