Donald Trump is using the closure of a “scam” super PAC to score points against his closest rival in the 2024 Republican field, Ron DeSantis.

       The ex-president gloated on Thursday that Ron To The Rescue was closing, per a report in the Daily Mail, after having claimed to have raised $50m on the governor’s behalf.

       “Wow! ‘A Super PAC set up to back Ron DeSanctimonious with $50 Million, is closing as donors have backed out - while its founder said the Florida Governor’s campaign is guilty of rookie mistakes, and he will now back Donald Trump,’” wrote the former president on Truth Social, quoting the Mail.

       Of the group’s founder, he then added: “Thank you to John Thomas, the highly respected Republican strategist!”

       But the story is a little bit more complicated than the ex-president has made it seem. Ron To The Rescue was never truly affiliated with the DeSantis campaign, which has instead coordinated with another PAC, Never Back Down. And according to the Mail, campaign officials for the former governor have long warned that the aim of Mr Thomas’s group was to divert funding from official sources.

       Related Canada issues US travel advisory warning LGBTQ+ community about laws thay may affect them What is an arraignment? Trump has just avoided his fourth Pence-founded group posts video baselessly linking abortion to cancer

       “We've made clear from the beginning that this was a scam PAC looking to grift off Ron DeSantis and it comes as welcome news they are no longer attempting to fleece our donors,” DeSantis spokesman Andrew Romeo told the newspaper.

       Ron To The Rescue’s funding pales in comparison to Never Back Down, which raised $130m in the most recent FEC reporting period.

       But Mr DeSantis’s poll numbers continue to significantly trail Mr Trump’s. The former president continues to dominate most early state and national polling by wide margins, taking more than 50 per cent of the vote in some cases and leaving his eight competitors in the dust.

       The Florida governor has seen his own ratings sag in recent months, and in one recent survey saw himself tied for second place with a surging Vivek Ramaswamy.

       More about Donald Trump PAC Ron DeSantis Republican Florida US election 2024

       Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

       Comments

       1/ 1Trump gloats over report that $50m DeSantis super PAC closing

       Trump gloats over report that $50m DeSantis super PAC closing

       Republican presidential candidate and Former President Donald Trump

       REUTERS

       Promoted stories

       investing.com

       They Fell In Love On Set And No One Knewinvesting.com| Sponsored Sponsored

       Undo

       Back Pain Treatment | Search Ads

       Singapore: Back And Shoulder Pain Treatments - Prices Might Surprise YouSee Prices HereBack Pain Treatment | Search Ads| Sponsored Sponsored

       Learn More

       Undo

       Search Ads

       This Simple Trick Will Improve Your Intimacy (Try it Tonight!)Whoa, the results from this method are crazy good!Search Ads| Sponsored Sponsored

       Read More

       Undo

       ？ Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

       Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

       Subscribe

       Already subscribed? Log in