Pro-DeSantis super PAC cancels ads in Iowa and New Hampshire

Never Back Down, the embattled super PAC supporting Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis, has canceled all of its planned television advertising in Iowa and New Hampshire just weeks before voting begins in the first nominating states.

The move, first reported by AdImpact, a firm that tracks political campaign advertising, was later confirmed by Never Back Down.

In a statement, Scott Wagner, the super PAC's chair, characterized the decision as part of a shift that would allow Never Back Down to focus on a "core mission" of grassroots activities in the early states while Fight Right, a newly created super PAC backing the Florida governor, airs television ads.

"We are thrilled to have Fight Right and others covering the air for Gov. DeSantis while we work the ground game in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and beyond," he said. His statement did not provide additional information about what led to the cancellations.

The shift is a stunning turnabout for the once deep-pocketed pro-DeSantis operation, which spent heavily on television in the spring and summer on the assumption that it could raise more money from wealthy donors in the winter.

Taryn Fenske, a spokeswoman for Fight Right, said it will place more than $2.5 million in ads ahead of the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses.

The moves come as Never Back Down has struggled to support DeSantis as originally envisioned and as Nikki Haley, a former ambassador to the United Nations, has risen in several polls, threatening DeSantis's status as the leading rival to former president Donald Trump.

Never Back Down was seeded with millions of unspent dollars DeSantis had raised for his gubernatorial re-election campaign in 2022. Although the organization is legally barred from directly coordinating with the campaign, it found ways to play an outsize role in boosting DeSantis on the campaign trail, paying for his travel, as well as an extensive door-knocking operation in Iowa.

But in recent weeks, the organization has begun to collapse.

On Saturday night, about four hours after a Washington Post story about its troubles was published online, Jeff Roe — a key architect of Never Back Down's strategy — joined a string of departures, further deepening the group's tumult.

He said he "cannot in good conscience stay affiliated with Never Back Down" after the super PAC sent statements to The Post suggesting that the group had fired executives connected to Roe's consulting firm over "mismanagement and conduct issues."

Haley's campaign seized on Never Back Down's ad cancellations Friday, claiming it was evidence of DeSantis's diminishing presence in the race.

"This is now a two-person race between Nikki Haley and Donald Trump," said Nachama Soloveichik, the communications director for Haley's campaign. "Nikki is the only Trump alternative with the support, the organization and the resources to go the distance."

Fenske, the Fight Right spokeswoman, said the description was "simply false."

Fight Right is playing the role of "air force" while Never Back Down does the ground game for DeSantis, Fenske said. She said the ads the group plans to place ahead of the Iowa caucuses include a $1.3 million cable and broadcast buy in the state.

One ad slated to start running Sunday focuses on Haley's record on China, with the tag line, "We can't trust tricky Nicky."