A leaked audio clip from DeSantis’ secret donor strategy meeting held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Miami on Thursday has surfaced, shedding light on key aspects of Governor Ron DeSantis’ campaign plans.
In leaked audio obtained by Florida Politics, pollster Ryan Tyson can be heard addressing donors, expressing his excitement about the level of recognition Governor DeSantis enjoys on a national scale.
Tyson’s comments highlight the campaign’s satisfaction with DeSantis’ growing prominence and the positive impact it has had on his candidacy. He argued that his position against former President Donald Trump will only improve with time.
“He is known to as many primary voters as the president and is more beloved,” Tyson said. “That is the first problem that I feel that Donald Trump has in these primaries. The negatives of him are too high. And I will also say this. The number 1 most effective and efficient driver of the negative aspects of Donald Trump is Donald Trump.”
The audio clip reveals that Governor DeSantis is strongly in favor of keeping abortion decisions at the state level.
“His position is that while he understands there are ways the federal government can be helpful in preserving life, the best way to preserve life is at the state level. He worries that if the federal government starts getting involved in this with abortion, it will actually open the door for Democrats to roll back pro-life reforms in many of the states in this country.”
This position is in line with conservative principles and reflects sentiments shared by many Republicans across the country. However, the recordings reveal a shift in DeSantis’ approach, signaling a potential shift toward the “middle” during the general election.
“If your concern is in the general election…Trust me when I tell you this. It comes from empirical data and qualitative feedback. If you are a voter in 2024… and if you vote on the issue of abortion as one of the two main issues in determining your vote for president. I would offer you that our data suggests that that person has a very high correlation with typical voting behavior for Democrats.”
During the donor meeting, the strategists expressed DeSantis’ intention to steer his campaign strategy toward the “middle ground” as the election progresses. The Governor’s advisers recognize the importance of appealing to a broader constituency and believe that adopting a more moderate tone could help solidify his chances of securing victory in a general election.
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The leaked audio emerged from DeSantis’ donor strategy meeting in Miami on Thursday. In the clip you can listen to below, DeSantis’ strategists tell high-value donors making campaign calls that:
- DeSantis’ position is to keep abortion decisions at the state level (following Trump’s position);
- That the Governor will change to the middle during a general election;
- The campaign’s position on abortion can be described as “safe, legal and rare in Florida,” an impressive display of President Bill Clinton’s infamous pro-abortion slogan.
During the session, the hosts, including DeSantis pollster Ryan Tyson, among others, can be heard hailing this as a “big step forward for the Republican Party as it moves into the middle.” [on abortion].”
There are multiple times throughout the leaked audio where DeSantis’ strategist can be heard telling wealthy donors, “You’ve got to win a primary before you win a general,” which is the political campaign speech for “we’ll move to the half after”. We won the nomination.”
You can listen to the full recording below. The topic of abortion begins at 27 minutes to 39 minutes.
