Donor: Ron DeSantis Seeks to Enter Final Stretch of Campaign with ‘Loyalists’; Doesn’t Seem to Be His Time’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis seeks to enter the final stretch of his campaign with “loyalists” — a term that, ironically, has been used to negatively describe Trump supporters — DeSantis donor Dan Eberhart said following news of Jeff Roe’s departure from the pro-DeSantis Super PAC Never Back Down.

Jeff Roe, the chief strategist and consultant for Never Back Down, resigned from the PAC over the weekend, standing as the latest in a major string of departures from the controversial organization.

“I can’t believe it ended this way. I’m so proud to have worked alongside these men and women at NBD 24/7 the past nine months to save the country. Good luck the next 28 days and a wake up. I’m so sorry I can’t be there with you,” Roe wrote on X, sharing a screenshot of his formal statement, in which he stated that he “cannot in good conscience stay affiliated with Never Back Down given the statements in the Washington Post today.”

“They are not true and an unwanted distraction at a critical time for Governor DeSantis,” he continued, expressing hope that DeSantis will be the next President of the United States:

I can’t believe it ended this way. I’m so proud to have worked alongside these men and women at NBD 24/7 the past nine months to save the country. Good luck the next 28 days and a wake up. I’m so sorry I can’t be there with you. pic.twitter.com/Rh4oQQ1tAE

— Jeff Roe (@jeffroe) December 17, 2023

The resignation came amid bubbling reports of major tension between the PAC and the DeSantis campaign, prompting some to express concern that the relationship between the two crosses the line of what is legally acceptable.

Dan Eberhart, a DeSantis donor, admitted that while DeSantis has “delivered stunning victories in the past,” this “doesn’t seem to be his time.”

“Gov. DeSantis wants to head into the final stretch with his loyalists, not necessarily nationally known operatives with presidential campaign experience per se,” he added, according to NBC News.

In recent weeks, former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt resigned as chair of Never Back Down, as did Never Back Down’s chief executive Chris Jankowski and Erin Perrine, the PAC’s communications director.

Tensions have flared between the PAC and campaign, as DeSantis has failed to put even a small dent in former President Donald Trump’s lead not only nationally, but in early primary states as well. It was roughly one month ago that reports surfaced detailing a tense meeting with Never Back Down leaders, which featured Roe telling longtime DeSantis confidant Scott Wagner, “You have a stick up your ass, Scott.”

“Why don’t you come over here and get it?” Wagner allegedly shot back as board members reportedly restrained him. Wagner is now chair of the PAC.

To make matters worse for DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley appears to be gaining on him and leads him in states such as South Carolina and New Hampshire. Some recent surveys have even shown DeSantis slipping to fifth place in the early primary state of New Hampshire.

In July, Donald Trump Jr. told Breitbart News exclusively that the Never Trump billionaire donor movement was largely behind DeSantis’s presidential bid.

DeSantis’s small-dollar donors, he said at the time, were “almost non-existent, making up 15 percent of his take,” adding that DeSantis’s funding was coming from Jeff Roe entities.

WATCH — Donald Trump Jr.: Never Trump Billionaire Donor Movement Largely Behind DeSantis Bid

Jack Knudsen / Breitbart News