Never-Trump Republicans are trying to lure Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (Dr.) into the GOP presidential primary as there is growing concern over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (Dr.) plunging poll numbers .).
DeSantis, who at one point was former President Donald Trump’s closest challenger, has recently trailed Trump by as much as 50 points. surveys Found. Before launching his primary, DeSantis respondents just 15 points behind Trump in February. However, a September poll found him below 47 points, while others have placed him third behind political newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy.
“DeSantis has faltered and failed to meet expectations and donors know it,” said former Ronald Reagan campaign manager Ed Rollins. he said CBS News’ Robert Costa. “No one has a real opening right now, but people are trying to figure out what to do.”
DeSantis’ donors reportedly questioned the strength of his 2024 candidacy and whether he should hold off on his presidential ambitions until 2028.
Now, the top GOP donors are watching Youngkin as a potential alternative to Trump, Costa reported.
Youngkin will do it host a two-day “Red Vest Retreat” next month with an official focus on helping Republicans win control of the Virginia General Assembly. However, donors intend to use the event as “an opportunity for them to try to push, if not push, Youngkin into the Republican presidential race,” according to Costa.
A “Red Arm Retreat” now scheduled for October, officially about the Virginia contests this November, all while some Youngkin donors and veteran Republicans wrestle with Trump’s position in the race… pic.twitter.com/gY1EEcERHP
— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 28, 2023
Billionaire Youngkin donor Thomas Peterffy said Youngkin “appears to be leaving the door open” to a presidential run.
Youngkin sparked rumors of a late entry into the GOP presidential primary field when he said in May he would not run for president “this year.”
“And if the Republicans win in Virginia, we might be able to convince them. Obviously, he wants to see what emerges, what the state of play is,” Peterffy said before assuring Costa that “the money would be there.”
Like Costa reported:
Donors and anti-Trump Republicans have been fixated on Youngkin for two years, since his 2021 election impressed them with how he was able to win the support of Trump voters while keeping Trump himself at arm’s length. They also know that a direct challenge to Trump would be politically brutal, and that late entries are almost impossible logistically.
Yet anti-Trump Republicans continue, in text messages and emails and over meals at five-star hotels, to talk to friends and mega-donors about the need to be prepared to help Youngkin mount a strong national campaign . They want to be prepared.
…
Youngkin’s various 2024 theories go something like this: If Virginia’s state legislature goes Republican on Nov. 7, Youngkin could claim to have flipped a state that Joe Biden won in 2020. If the governor then expressed interest in exploring a run, supporters could rush to collect signatures to get him on the ballot in delegate-rich states, many of which have December deadlines. If he got in, he would make a play for Iowa and build a campaign with the intention of staying there until the convention.
Even former Trump administration attorney general Bill Barr encouraged Youngkin to enter the race.
“I’m all for whoever can beat Trump in the primary, and while I still think some of the current candidates can do it, I’d like to see Youngkin put the oar in,” Barr said. he said coast “If the governor indicated he would, I think he would get serious support and be a strong candidate.
It has been reported that media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who was once set on DeSantis animated Youngkin to enter the GOP primary during several face-to-face meetings.
“The search for other people is very real,” Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton, told Costa.
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him Twitter.
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