A document that appears to be a debate strategy for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis reportedly leaked online on Wednesday ahead of next week’s GOP Primary debate. The two-page memo posted by an affiliate of a pro-DeSantis super PAC revealed the Governor’s plan to attack Joe Biden, defend Donald Trump, and “hammer” Vivek Ramaswamy, among other tactics.
The Ron DeSantis debate documents, released on the website of Axiom Strategist, were first discovered by the New York Times shortly after publication on August 15. Axiom founder Jeff Roe is also the leader of DeSantis’ Never Back Down super PAC. Shortly after the Times discovered the document, it was deleted from the website.
Governor DeSantis, currently ranked second in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, has suffered from stalled poll progress since launching his campaign in May. In the intervening time, the DeSantis campaign has undergone major personnel changes, including a significant downsizing earlier this month, in an effort to gain ground and rival former President Donald Trump, the current frontrunner.
The upcoming Republican debate, scheduled for August 23, may provide the Florida Governor with an ideal platform to make up for lost time. DeSantis is one of eight candidates eligible to appear onstage, and if Trump follows through on his threat to skip the debate, the Governor would take center stage as the highest-polling participant.
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The strategy document begins by listing the “four basic must-dos” for DeSantis while onstage:
- Attack Joe Biden and the media 3-5 times.
- State [Governor Ron DeSantis’] positive vision 2-3 times.
- Hammer Vivek Ramaswamy in a response.
- Defend Donald Trump in absentia in response to a Chris Christie attack.
The plan then cites former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes’ “Orchestra Pit Theory,” which prioritizes grabbing media attention rather than debating policy.
To do this, DeSantis is encouraged to first and foremost attack Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur whose long-shot campaign now rivals DeSantis’ own in certain polls. The governor intends to “take a sledge-hammer to Vivek Ramaswamy” by labeling him “Fake Vivek” Or “Vivek the Fake.”
The remainder of the document lays out plans for sharing personal anecdotes and defending Trump from attacks by former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. However, the key to handling Trump is for DeSantis to promote himself as “carrying the torch” of Trump’s legacy without any of the political baggage.
“[Trump] was a breath of fresh air and the first president to tell the elite where to shove it. But he was attacked all the time, provoked attacks all the time, and it was non-stop,” the document reads. “He’s got so many distractions that it’s almost impossible for him to focus on moving the country forward.”
Responding to the publication of the strategy, Ramaswamy took to social media, accusing “Robot Ron” of using “lame, preprogrammed attack lines” against him.
Another boring, establishment attack from Super PAC-creation “Robot Ron” who is literally taking lame, pre-programmed attack lines against me for next week’s debate. “Hammer Ramaswamy.” 😂 pic.twitter.com/u8puIW88jS
Similarly, the pro-Christie Tell It Like It Is PAC responded with a mocking one-sentence strategy of its own: “Be yourself, and Tell It Like It Is.”
The full DeSantis strategy document can be read below in its entirety:
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