#Ron backs down

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

Ron always backs down because Ron does NOT like people. Today he's hiding out in an Iowa hotel convenience "store."

https://rumble.com/v46ophl-ron-desantis-loomered-in-iowa-florida-governor-runs-away-in-fear.html

https://x.com/LauraLoomer/status/1745944405884690600?s=20

@LauraLoomer

Ron DeSantis just got LOOMERED at his hotel in Des Moines, Iowa, 3 days before the Iowa Caucus! I confronted DeSantis as he was walking into his hotel, and he hid from me inside the hotel convenience store and used his staffers, including @Kelly_Kundinger to physically block my body. His staff also shoved me and tugged on my clothing so that DeSantis could get away from me and run into an elevator. But, I didn’t back down!!!!! I asked DeSanctus if he plans on endorsing President Trump when DeSantis loses the Iowa Caucus on Monday, January 15, 2024. I asked him why he is an ABSENTEE GOVERNOR who unethically changed the law in Florida so he could run for President on taxpayer dime and keep his Gubernatorial salary while he abandoned Floridians during multiple storms and an insurance crisis. I asked him why he is ALWAYS backing down even though his PAC is named @NvrBackDown24 I also asked DeSantis when he’s going to drop out of the 2024 Presidential race since he’s polling at 14% in Iowa, and 5% in New Hampshire. RON DESANTIS RAN AWAY FROM ME AND HE WAS PETRIFIED TO SEE ME! And of course, I called @GovRonDeSantis out for being DISLOYAL to the one man he owes his entire political career to: PRESIDENT DONALD J TRUMP! DeSanctimonious’s soul literally left his cowardly body when he saw me. It’s over Ron! You just got LOOMERED! #LOOMERED #IowaCaucus

[tomorrowusa]

Ron DeSantis has endorsed his Florida neighbor Donald Trump – while using a fake Winston Churchill quote.

Maybe we should call him Reek rather than Ron.

In front of enormous rally audiences, Mr. Trump painted Mr. DeSantis as a submissive sniveler, insisting that he had cried and begged “on his knees” for an endorsement in the 2018 Florida governor’s race. In a series of sexually charged attacks, Mr. Trump suggested — without a shred of proof — that Mr. DeSantis wore high heels, that he might be gay and that perhaps he was a pedophile. He promised that intense national scrutiny would leave Mr. DeSantis whining for “mommy.”

Trump, of course, is a hypocrite. In addition to being a corrupt and lying Toad, he's personally repulsive and ignorant. Despite that, Republicans can't stop lining up to kiss his butt.

All of DeSantis's blustering and political machismo looks that much more pathetic after swearing his allegiance to the Orange One this week.

Now he is both defeated and debased. His departure from the race on Sunday was a far fall from grace after opening his campaign as the heir apparent in a Trumpified Republican Party. Rehabilitating that reputation as he considers his next political move will require plenty of repair work with donors and Republican voters, thanks to Mr. Trump’s ruthless parade of insults over 242 days on the campaign trail. “I don’t care if he’s a Republican,” Mr. Trump said of his belittlement of Mr. DeSantis at a November gathering of the Republican Party of Florida — the governor’s home turf. “We hit him hard, and now he’s like a wounded falling bird from the skies.” [ ... ] The missives were often led by Mr. Trump’s chief spokesman, Steven Cheung, who leaned into his background as a public relations operative for the Ultimate Fighting Championship to deliver brutal slams with the force of the sport’s suffocating guillotine chokehold. In November, Mr. Cheung told The Wall Street Journal that in Iowa, Mr. DeSantis would face “unimaginable pain that he’s never felt before in his life.” In a news release, he cast doubt on Mr. DeSantis’s masculinity, saying that he walked like “a 10-year-old girl who had just raided her mom’s closet and discovered heels for the first time.” Mr. Cheung also referred to the Florida governor as a “desperate eunuch,” questioned why Mr. DeSantis would “cuck himself” in front of the entire country — sexual slang that implies weakness in a man — and accused him of searching for “new sugar daddies” to fund his campaign. He called Mr. DeSantis a “disloyal dog.”

A truly "disloyal dog" would have bitten Trump. DeSantis just drooled on Trump's shoes.

Don't feel too sorry for Ron/Reek, he allegedly has about $100 million left in his campaign war chest. He could sit on that until 2028 while hoping Trump loses in order to vindicate his own failed presidential bid this cycle.

EDIT: In case that wasn't enough humiliation of Republicans for you, Stephen Colbert was firing on all thrusters last night.

[pookielious]

Take two of the famous psychological experiment that is band of brothers acting bootcamp

[xanthippe74]

Draw Drarry Badly Challenge 2024

Animagi Assholes Edition!

ft. Canada Goose Draco vs. Honey Badger Harry

[pyrosomatic-metamorphosis]

something about qbad mentioning how much horror he put red team thru every time purgatory gets brought up... something about how proud dapper was of him.

like this is just my late-night read but- it feels like guilt qbad is trying to twist into pride. he keeps needling away at it. “i killed them all, over and over and over again.” “they were hunted by a monster.”

it’s like- reassurance. like a nail he’s trying o beat into his head. he’s had SO much trouble with legitimately hurting his friends, despite making that vow all the way back when the eggs first went missing, despite all the tree talk and the promises to save the kids no matter what. He never faltered with elq, and that protected them. He keeps faltering now. Sometimes he doesnt remember the code, or cucurucho, or skeppy. But that doesnt matter, right? Because he’ll protect the eggs. He’ll be the monster. he is the monster. he can and he will protect them even as his seams start ripping and he keeps breaking further and further apart. even at his worst, he’ll do whatever he needs to protect the eggs.

he’ll be the monster. wont he?

[thatdiva]

[odinsblog]

What do Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ted Cruz, Tim Scott and Mike Pence have in common? They like to call themselves “alpha males” but none of them had the balls to stand up to the guy who verbally abused and relentlessly mocked them

[carcarrot]

OH MY GOD A YEAR AGO TODAY .

[variksel]

fully convinced that after paeden slit glenns achilles tendant when he had the hiccups glenn went from wearing trainers to bovver or cowboy boots only because of the high collar

[panzershrike-pretz]

Almost rebloged a Band of Brothers post to the Nerdy Prudes Must Die tag

That would've been fun-

[marshmellowtea]

season one finale of party down is so fucked up imagine both your girlfriend AND your boyfriend are leaving to do bigger and better things leaving you stuck at this crappy dead end job that you only kept because your girlfriend is there and yeah sure you get promoted and that comes with better benefits and that’s nice but it’s also more responsibility and this was supposed to be your shitty fuck around job but now you’re STRESSED about it and you can’t even drink on the job like you used to because now you’re trying to take it seriously. i would kill myself fr

[languor-em]

I FORGOT THAT MARGIT SHOWS UP OUTSIDE OF LEYNDELL I GOT TAKEN SO OFF GUARD AHDYIAJDJ

[tomorrowusa]

Meatball Ron kissed Trump’s ring in record time

If you are interested in picking up any "Never Back Down" merch, for future ironic use, there will never be a better time to get it dirt cheap!

Not sure what he'll do with his Iowa Never Back Down bus.

Maybe he'll repurpose it to transport migrants to Iowa so they can help with his 2028 campaign.

[kiwi-and-pasta-at-3am]

Usually I'm not one for AUs extrapolating hbowar characters from the war context, however, I would sell my fucking soul to see Ronald speirs in an 80s slasher situation, with some masked killer on the loose at a camp by the lake where he's partying with friends

And no he would not be the killer, he would absolutely thrive with some white tshirt and messy hair, being the one who kills the killer in the end

Like I need that

Anyways have this crappy edit

Funny part is, I hate slashers, I never watch horror movies or I'd shit my pants

[sivyera]

nsfw headcanons and kinks of harry potter characters

ft. harry, ron, cedric, fred, george, draco, blaise, theodore, tom, hermione, pansy

a/n: well there is obviously a lot of SMUT, also it's a female reader

༺☆༻

⤷ Harry - lingerie

harry for sure loves when you wear some nice pair of lingerie, he finds it so hot when the nice lace hugs your body so perfectly. every time when he's out, he looks for some new pair of lingerie that he would buy you. oh yeah he buys you every single pair but one time, you surprised him on his b-day with red pair of lingerie (like gryffindor theme lingerie) and he was hard within seconds.

"oh- oh my fucking god, you look amazing sweetheart. do a spin for me please- slowly, i wanna see how pretty you look in this" harry hummed while he sat on his bed with you slowly turning in front of him. he could feel his hard dick pressing against his pants, pre-cum already making his boxers dirty. he brushed his hand over his erection before he hummed again. "come closer baby, i wanna touch you..."

⤷ Ron - body worship

ron was very unexperienced at the start, you were basically his first everything, first girlfriend, first kiss, first lover. so when was the first time you two had sex, he was just so mesmerized by your whole body that he had to watch himself for not cumming into his pants just from the sight of your naked body. you are gorgeous in his eyes, more than that! from that time it kinda sticked with him, every time you two have sex now, he has to worship you before anything, he wants you to know how beautiful you are on his eyes...

you could feel ron's hands tracing soft patterns over your sides while his eyes were glued to your boobs. "bloody hell, baby you are so beautiful.. " he mumbled while he moved his big palms over your boobs, squeezing them lightly. "i can't belive how lucky i'm to have you, now let me make you feel good." he added before he took off your panties and kissed his way down to your pretty cunt.

⤷ Cedric - praise kink

cedric is overall very vocal when you two have sex, he either growls, hums, groans, breaths heavily or he's mumbling praises to you. he really cannot help himself when he sees you all spread under him; your legs wrapped around him, your hands scratching his back while he holds your hips and is thrusting into you, mercilessly. he always makes sure that you can hear him properly so he usually leans closer to you, brushing his lips over your ear in soft kisses, whispering praise right into your ear.

"you're doing so good princess, taking all of me like this..." he whispers into your ear, his hips are crushing against yours, his dick hitting every right spot while you're a moaning mess under him. "you feel so good, i can't get enough of you, my sweet girl.." he groans again into your ear while his tempo isn't slowing down.

⤷ Fred - public sex

fred is thrilled with the idea of getting caught, it's the adrenaline and the possessivness from him screaming, i mean he wants people to know that you're his, that you chose him and that only HE makes you feel this good. so you two usually have sex somewhere around hogwarts. empty classroom, broom closet, empty gryffindor common room, bathroom, you name it.

"shh baby, be quiet you don't want anybody to catch us, do you?" he smirks while he has you seated on a desk in empty potion class. both of you are skipping class so it's pretty quiet outside on the hallways, anyone who will walk past can hear you. he doesn't care how loud you are because he doesn't care if you two get caught, he just wants to tease you. even tho you try to be quiet, you can't help yourself and moan again. "naughty girl yeah, let everybody know how good i make you feel..."

⤷ George - orgasm denial

george loves the face you make when he pushes you to the edge but just seconds before you're about to cum, he slows down his moves or stops completely, kissing your skin instead. he also loves teasing you but the way you get all pouty and squeeze around him when he denies you your orgasm is just something he can never get tired of. but eventually he'll let you cum and it's always the best orgasm ever.

he was thrusting into you in the perfect rhythm when you felt the familiar knot forming inside your belly, but just when the knot was about to release, he stopped. instead he immediately pressed his lips against your chest, kissing you around your boobs. "i know baby, i know... i'll give you what you want but god- when you squeeze around me like this, i can't help myself."

⤷ Draco - daddy kink

draco has big daddy issues so many of you could say that he'd hate being called daddy but he actually loves it. it makes him feel good, powerful and in control which he never was while being back home so... when you started calling him like this, he didn't let you stop. he sees you as his blessing and he wants to protect you with everything he has, like a good daddy should protect his precious baby.

"you're such a good girl for daddy, princess..." draco huffed while he was buried deep inside you. his hands were pressing your knees to your chest which made you ass go little up, letting him hit the perfect spot inside you. "yes, tell me who's your daddy? mhmf-..." he continues while you're mumbling under him. he loves when those sweet words leave your pretty mouth, it almost always makes him cum in seconds.

⤷ Blaise - bondage

blaise loves seeing how your flesh presses under the bondage, making your thighs and boobs look even more soft and squishy than they already are. he either bondages your whole body or only ankles and wrists so you can't move, but he loves both equaly. he always takes his time when he's wrapping the rope around your body but he also always makes sure that everything he does is comfortable to you, it could be dangerous for you and he doesn't wanna hurt you.

"you feelin' good, babe?" he speaks while his long fingers are brushing over your inner thighs, his eyes basically glued to the plush of them. he could feel his hard dick twitching in his boxers, leaving a small wet mark over the fabric so he quickly strokes himself before he continues. "you look so pretty like this, all just for me... take a deep breath, babe, just like this..."

⤷ Theodore - deep throat

there is nothing more theo loves more than when you are on your knees, your glassy looking up at him with tears falling down your cheeks while he hears how you are gagging on his dick. he doesn't care if you have good or bad gagging reflex, you can take it for him. if it's very serious and you just have to take a quick pause, he'll let you rest for like 30s before pushing you down on his dick again, this time little deeper than before. and when you let him cum into your mouth, you got yourself "bonus" orgasm.

"ngh- fuck baby-... your tongue feels so good around me, mhmm..." he hums while his head falls down between his shoulder blades with his fingers being tangled in your hair, pushing your head lower on his dick. his groans and moans are non-stopping while he can feel himself getting closer and closer. when he looks down at you and sees your pretty, bambi eyes already staring at him, he can feel himself cum. "oh dio-... now swallow for me, amore."

⤷ Tom - choking

choking makes feel tom in control, in control of your life while he brings you the best pleasure of your life. he can feel your pulse point under his thumb while you make this incredibly fuckable face, it drives him wild and incredibly horny. he can feel your heartbeat while he also makes you feel so good, it makes him feel powerful and he's hungry for power, any kind of power. but he'd never let you pass out, that's a big no for him.

he thrusted inside and out of you, mercilessly, while he had his hand firmly wrapped around you neck, perfectly feeling how was your heart beating through your pulse point. "oh are you about to cum? yeah, cum for me, my love..." he growled when his grip got tighter, making your eyes close in pleasure. you were still moaning under him which made him go little faster. with all of this, he came as well.

⤷ Hermione - thigh riding

hermione loves when she can multitask, it's somehow comforting to her. so one time when you found her in the library, learning for some up coming test, writing into her books; you sat on her thigh, wanting to distract her, she was hooked. she loved the feeling of you on her thigh, pleasuring yourself while she could write some notes into her textbook. from that time, she loved it and she often pulls you onto her lap with her thigh in perfect position for your pussy.

she wrote the last words into her book before her hands grabbed your hips, making you move faster, making your pussy spread over her thigh. "mhm you feel good like this? yes, you do? oh i know... come on, little faster." she mumbled into your ear, kissing you all the way down to your neck while her nails dug into your soft hips making you moan.

⤷ Pansy - face-sitting

pansy is literally obsessed with your pussy and all the noises you make when her tongue is buried deep inside you. she loves to explore all your folds because every time her tongue presses against a new spot, you squeeze your thighs around her head which makes her rub her thighs against each other. her eyes are glued on you the whole time while she presses her nose against your clit.

"mhmh come on-..." she quickly mumbles before she pushes your hips more onto her mouth while her tongue pushes deep inside you. her hands helped your hips slowly move back and forth while her tongue was licking each of your folds, swallowing each of your juice that she got on her tongue. your moans filled her ears and she could see you were getting closer which made her tongue work even faster.

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

DeSantis Latest Relaunch to Save Failing Campaign

"James Uthmeier has zero campaign political experience, he is a lawyer with specific economic and legal skills related to his former job at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce where he served as legal counsel.  Given the nature of the reason for the Wall Street Sea Island group to support the 2024 DeSantis operation, having a multinational advocate in the role of campaign manager oddly does make sense.  There are trillions at stake."

Nikki Fried, the chair of the Florida Democratic Party, said in a statement that allowing Uthmeier to take a leave of absence is “a blatant middle finger to the people of Florida — who’s actually going to run the state while he’s gone? It’s certainly not Ron.” Fried had previously filed ethics complaints against Uthmeier and Kopelousos for allegedly soliciting donations from lobbyists and lawmakers for DeSantis’ presidential campaign.

Generra Peck is out just weeks after advisers said her job was secure.

By GARY FINEOUT 08/08/2023

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Ron DeSantis has replaced his campaign manager, Generra Peck, in what is the third major reshuffling of his operations, a campaign spokesperson and a person familiar with the move confirmed to POLITICO.

Peck will be shifted to a role of chief strategist as part of the new order. Taking her place atop the campaign will be James Uthmeier, who has served as chief of staff in DeSantis’ governor’s office. In a text message, Uthmeier said the change was happening “ASAP.”

The move comes just weeks after the DeSantis campaign and close advisers insisted that Peck’s job was secure, even after the team shed a third of its staffers amid a budget crunch and concern about the direction of the operation.

The governor’s team pledged to scale back, build an insurgent operation, and do more mainstream media outreach. They’ve done all that. But the results have yet to be reflected in the polls.

One person close to the campaign, who was granted anonymity to freely discuss the issue, said that Peck’s removal, which was first reported by The Messenger, was “no surprise. Should have happened a few weeks ago.”

DeSantis’ campaign spokesperson, Andrew Romeo, also confirmed the staff moves in a statement, saying that “Uthmeier has been one of Governor DeSantis’ top advisors for years and he is needed where it matters most: working hand in hand with Generra Peck and the rest of the team to put the governor in the best possible position to win this primary and defeat Joe Biden.”

He added that David Polyansky, who worked with Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting DeSantis, will also move to the campaign.

One person familiar with the shake-up said that Uthmeier, who had conducted a review of campaign operations before the switch, has the “trust” of DeSantis and his wife, Casey, and is also well-regarded by campaign staff. This person, who was not authorized to speak about the matter, said there was “managerial angst” with Peck who had “lost [the] confidence” of the campaign team.

The person also described Uthmeier’s role as “CEO” of the campaign but who will rely on David Polyansky —and Marc Reichelderfer, a veteran political consultant from Tallahassee — as “senior vice presidents” with national campaign experience.

Ryan Tyson, a well-regarded pollster, is also expected to have an elevated role in the campaign.

Uthmeier has served as DeSantis’ chief of staff since October 2021 and worked as the governor’s general counsel before he became his top aide. He has been involved in some of the governor’s most high profile initiatives, including the controversial program to transport migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard last year.

Uthmeier also worked as a senior adviser to former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross but his background is primarily in legal work and not in running political campaigns.

Uthmeier is taking an unpaid leave of absence from the administration to work on the campaign and is not resigning permanently from his job as chief of staff, according to the governor’s office.

Alex Kelly, a former top deputy to DeSantis who was recently appointed to be the secretary of the Department of Commerce, will step in as acting chief of staff while Uthmeier works with the campaign, which operates out of an office building in Tallahassee.

This is not the first time that DeSantis — whose inner circle is very tight — has leaned into people who worked for him in the governor’s office to help with his presidential aspirations.

In early July, Stephanie Kopelousos, the governor’s long-time legislative affairs director, left to work for the DeSantis campaign while Taryn Fenske, the governor’s communications director, departed to work for Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting DeSantis.

It was Peck who tried to reassure donors and supporters during a retreat held late last month in Utah. During the event, she acknowledged that the campaign had spent too much money ramping up its operation and that the campaign would turn to a leaner “insurgent” posture.

Since that time, DeSantis has been relying on smaller campaign events — some of which are being done in concert with Never Back Down — while also sitting down for interviews with mainstream media outlets. This week, for example, DeSantis did an interview with NBC News just months after a top spokesperson in office said they were boycotting the network.

DeSantis: 2020 election theories ‘did not prove to be true’

Nikki Fried, the chair of the Florida Democratic Party, said in a statement that allowing Uthmeier to take a leave of absence is “a blatant middle finger to the people of Florida — who’s actually going to run the state while he’s gone? It’s certainly not Ron.”

Fried had previously filed ethics complaints against Uthmeier and Kopelousos for allegedly soliciting donations from lobbyists and lawmakers for DeSantis’ presidential campaign.

Despite polls showing him trailing former President Donald Trump, DeSantis has vowed to plow ahead in the early states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

While brushing aside some of his poll numbers, DeSantis told NBC News this week that “I would much rather be underestimated” when asked about some of the problems with his campaign so far.

© 2023 POLITICO LLC"

From The Messenger

Outgoing campaign manager Generra Peck will remain as chief strategist on the campaign as part of the restructuring. Peck guided DeSantis’s blowout reelection bid last year, but she quickly became the subject of criticism from DeSantis advisers and donors in mid-July after his presidential campaign stalled and money dried up.

The campaign then twice cut staff and expenses and retooled DeSantis’s press strategy to make him more available to the mainstream media.

But donors and some outside advisers weren’t satisfied, leading DeSantis last week to ask Uthmeier to diagnose problems with the campaign and see if he could fix them. Ultimately, it led the governor to ask Uthmeier to take the job.

Uthmeier shies away from calling the reshuffling a “reboot.” It’s a despised word in the campaign, where advisers prefer to call this the last campaign “reload” -- and they're going to win, despite the naysayers and early polling.

“People have written Governor DeSantis’s obituary many times,” Uthmeier said in a written statement to The Messenger. “From his race against establishment primary candidate Adam Putnam, to his victory over legacy media-favored candidate Andrew Gillum [in 2018], to his twenty point win over Charlie Crist [in 2022], Governor DeSantis has proven that he knows how to win. He’s breaking records on fundraising and has a supporting super PAC with $100 million in the bank and an incredible ground game. Get ready.”

Joining Uthmeier as a deputy campaign manager will be David Polyansky, an experienced Iowa operative who boasts of never losing a Republican presidential primary in the first-in-the-nation caucus state. Polyansky is currently an adviser to the pro-DeSantis super PAC, Never Back Down. He spent extensive time with DeSantis this month on his repeat visits to the first-in-the-nation state, which is crucial to DeSantis’s chances against frontrunner Donald Trump.

The campaign’s senior adviser and pollster, Ryan Tyson, will have an elevated role along with Marc Reichelderfer, a seasoned political operative and Tallahassee lobbyist who is currently advising the campaign.

Replacing Uthmeier in the governor’s office as acting chief of staff will be Alex Kelley, who is currently Florida’s Secretary of Commerce. Kelley will work side-by-side with David Dewhirst, who was hired last month as an adviser in the governor’s office and was the former solicitor general of Montana and deputy attorney general in Idaho.

Uthmeier and Peck have been close allies ever since the governor’s reelection campaign. As chief of staff, Uthmeier was actively engaged in raising money for DeSantis’s presidential campaign. In a written statement, Peck pledged help DeSantis notch a comeback win against Trump.

“Governor DeSantis is running one of the most aggressive early state campaigns in modern history,” Peck said. “Our organization welcomes the best of the best and James is one of my closest colleagues and friends — we are better for his joining and providing day to day leadership. This team is built to last and built to win.” 

At 35 with no campaign management experience, Uthmeier has risen in the ranks of the governor’s office to become the top political and policy adviser to DeSantis. A member of the conservative Federalist Society legal group with DeSantis, Uthmeier began serving as deputy legal counsel after DeSantis was first sworn into office in Tallahassee in 2019 and was soon elevated to chief legal counsel before becoming chief of staff in the fall of 2021.

Over the years, Uthmeier earned a reputation in Florida political circles as the governor’s always-on-offense conservative fixer. He has had a key role in nearly every conservative and controversial policy that built the DeSantis brand with conservatives.

Uthmeier led DeSantis’s legal efforts to prohibit local government mask mandates, ban private business vaccine passports and reopen schools quickly in response to COVID. That earned DeSantis national condemnation from health experts and widespread negative mainstream media coverage but the support of Florida voters, who went on to reelect him by his historic margin in 2022. It also propelled him into the top tier of GOP presidential contenders.

Uthmeier also helped direct the controversial effort by DeSantis to redraw Florida’s congressional maps and eliminate a Black-held congressional seat. He also helped recruit legislative and school board candidates favorable to DeSantis’s conservative pro-business tax-cutting agenda.

During the fight over Florida’s law limiting the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms, Uthmeier managed the state’s strategy to remove Disney’s special treatment under Florida law, earning DeSantis more criticism and legal challenges. Closely involved in the establishment of the governor’s Faith Office, which liaises with numerous state agencies, Uthmeier helped ensure that the “heartbeat bill” 6-week abortion ban made it through the legislature.

That abortion legislation recently led DeSantis’s biggest contributor, billionaire Robert Bigelow, to announce he would no longer fund the governor’s presidential campaign if he didn’t moderate. Bigelow has contributed a total of $30 million toward DeSantis’s reelection and presidential campaign efforts.

Almost as important as gaining DeSantis’s trust, Uthmeier is also a top ally of First Lady Casey DeSantis, who plays an outsized role as the governor’s eyes and ears and his campaign trail surrogate. Uthmeier took a keen interest in her “Hope Initiative” to help lift people out of poverty, which she talks about on the campaign trail.

One senior campaign staffer described Uthmeier as “loyal, honest, and a true believer in the conservative principles that Governor DeSantis fights for. Over the years, James has earned the governor's trust and confidence — and the team enjoys working with him. He is exactly the right person to manage this campaign so we can help Governor DeSantis win the White House and save our country.”

Last week, Uthmeier took time off from his government job to lead the review of the state of the campaign at headquarters in Tallahassee, where he worked alongside Florida’s first lady reviewing strategic plans and interviewing staffers about what changes need to be made. DeSantis’s policy director, Chris Spencer, also took time off in a volunteer capacity and reviewed the finances of the campaign.

The DeSantis campaign’s financial problems only became apparent to the candidate and broader campaign in the final days of the financial quarter ending July 1. Though DeSantis hauled in a sizable $20 million in his first quarter of fundraising, it masked structural issues with his campaign’s high burn rate because of extensive private jet travel and a huge staff of more than 90.

In mid-July, the layoffs began in waves, instead of all at once. That led to a steady drip of negative media coverage – from the financial problems, to staffers who created a controversial homophobic (yet strangely homoerotic) web ad and then another created by another staffer that used Nazi imagery. In both cases, the campaign initially and falsely denied its staffers created the videos.

Peck offered to resign late last month at a donor retreat in Utah where some DeSantis advisers began criticizing her to the governor. Casey DeSantis, who is also close to Peck and appreciated her hard work and loyalty, balked, according to two sources.

“If you talk to Generra, she’ll be the first to tell you that she made mistakes.,” said a donor who attended the Utah meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Messenger to freely discuss the campaign. “She admitted her mistakes and lots of people appreciate that honesty. I like her. I think she’s great. But this is the NFL. This is about winning.”

In a press release issued after publication of this story, DeSantis communications director Andrew Romeo said that “Uthmeier has been one of Governor DeSantis' top advisors for years and he is needed where it matters most: working hand in hand with Generra Peck and the rest of the team to put the governor in the best possible position to win this primary and defeat Joe Biden. David Polyansky will also be a critical addition to the team given his presidential campaign experience in Iowa and work at Never Back Down. We are excited about these additions as we continue to spread the governor's message across the country. It's time to reverse our nation's decline and revive America's future."