'Little Trump' DeSantis Falls... Fundraising Head Resigns

Trailing Former Ambassador Haley in Republican Poll

Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida who was once dubbed the 'Little Trump' and emerged as a strong contender against former U.S. President Donald Trump in the Republican primary, has seen his chief political fundraiser resign. DeSantis's presidential campaign has hit a red light recently, as he has fallen to second place behind former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley in recent polls.

According to U.S. media outlets including The New York Times (NYT) on the 23rd (local time), Chris Jankowski, the head of DeSantis's political fundraising group 'Never Back Down,' announced his resignation the previous evening.

In a statement, Jankowski said, "The sole goal of Never Back Down is the election of Governor DeSantis as president," adding, "Given the current circumstances, it seems impossible for me to achieve this goal. The strategic differences have gone beyond a point of reconciliation."

Never Back Down played a key role, raising a total of $130 million in donations just last summer. However, it is reported that serious internal strategic conflicts have arisen recently over Haley's rise and fundraising issues. Some of DeSantis's close aides left Never Back Down following internal clashes and formed another political fundraising group called 'Fight Right.'

The NYT reported, "Governor DeSantis faced a new political trial on the day before Thanksgiving," noting, "Internal tensions are peaking at a critical moment just seven weeks before the Iowa caucuses, his first showdown with former President Trump."

DeSantis has also been trailing former Ambassador Haley in recent polls. According to a presidential poll released yesterday by Emerson College, former President Trump’s support within the Republican Party rose by 5 percentage points from last month to 64%, intensifying his dominance. Haley followed with 9%, while DeSantis ranked third with 8% support.