While the Trump indictment news dominated the headlines on Tuesday, DeSantis continued to refocus his campaign after his fundraising report raised some concerns about the state of his operation.
DeSantis officially filed to run in the South Carolina primary, underscoring his team’s emphasis on the Palmetto State. And he unveiled a plan to “rip the woke” out of the military.
He also made a return to the mainstream media by sitting down for an interview with CNN, an institution he has repeatedly bashed, per NBC News’ Matt Dixon.
Asked about concerns that DeSantis may not be electable as he focuses on controversial social issues, DeSantis said, “Well, I don’t think that’s true. I mean, the proof is in the pudding. I mean, I took a state that had been a one-point state, and we won it by 20 percentage points, 1.5 million votes. Our bread and butter were people like suburban moms.”
Meanwhile, DeSantis’ allies and donors are continuing to raise concerns about his campaign. Some are calling for his campaign manager, Generra Peck, to be demoted or let go entirely, per NBC News’ Dixon, Natasha Korecki and Jonathan Allen.
“It’s time for that kind of change,” said one DeSantis bundler. “It’s time for a shake-up at the top.”
In other campaign news …
A different Trump trial: Federal prosecutors and Trump’s legal team met in court Tuesday to discuss how to address classified material in the case, where Trump has been indicted for his handling of classified documents.
Calendar questions: Iowa’s GOP caucus date is set, but New Hampshire’s primary date is still in flux, NBC News’ Emma Barnett and Mike Memoli report.
$40 million man: A super PAC backing South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott is reserving $40 million in digital and TV ads through January, as Politico reports on how Scott has so far struggled to separate from the pack in the polls.
First State for the second run: President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign announced Tuesday that it will be headquartered in Wilmington, Del. Biden’s 2020 campaign headquarters were in Pennsylvania.
All hat, no cattle?: Montana GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy purchased a cattle ranch back in 2019, but he has not reported any livestock to the state, per the Daily Beast. Sheehy’s spokesperson said that was “an oversight.”
He’s running: Virginia Republican Hung Cao announced Tuesday that he is running against Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine. Cao, a Navy veteran, lost to Democratic Rep. Jennfer Wexton by nearly 7 percentage points in 2022.
Eyes on 2026?: Georgia GOP Gov Brian Kemp met with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Tuesday, NBC News’ Frank Thorp and Ryan Nobles report. Kemp is also meeting with National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Steve Daines on Wednesday. Georgia’s next Senate race isn’t until 2026. But asked if he was interested in running for Senate, Kemp said, “I am focused on ’24, winning Georgia in ’24, the road to the White House is coming through Georgia.”
The buzz in Mississippi: Democrat Brandon Presley, who is running for governor in Mississippi, released a new TV ad on Tuesday that features Presley cutting a car in half with a buzzsaw.
A possible rematch: Democrat Rudy Salas announced he’s running for the House again against Republican Rep. David Valadao, hoping for revenge after the Republican defeated him in 2022.
