Ron DeSantis’ plan to ascend to the presidency through sheer force was doomed from the start due to serious flaws in its execution. The plan, which involved launching a super PAC called Never Back Down, was billed to be loaded with $80 million transferred from DeSantis’ state-level PAC in Florida. The PAC was intended to carry DeSantis to the presidency with the help of a talent-stocked team that would spend historic sums on organizing and campaign messaging.
“I had to have it explained to me the first time DeSantis came here for a parade,” an early DeSantis supporter in New Hampshire recalled to The Daily Beast. “I was gonna show up for the parade and I was informed, ‘This is a Never Back Down event, so you can’t mention anything about the campaign.’ And I was like, what the hell is this?”
The idea of such a well-funded super PAC was so fearsome that some Republicans dubbed it the “Death Star.” However, Never Back Down’s ambitious plan was destined to fail when it collided with the strict federal rules that prevent campaigns and super PACs from working together or even communicating on strategy.
An early DeSantis supporter in New Hampshire revealed that they were stunned by how the PAC operated during DeSantis’ visit to a parade. The supporter was informed that the parade was “Never Back Down” event, meaning they couldn’t mention anything about the campaign. The supporter was left perplexed and wondered what the event was all about.
While many Republicans feared the prospect of the “Death Star,” few expected the extent to which it would implode. The operation has been labeled as the “worst-orchestrated effort in modern presidential history” by insiders familiar with the Never Back Down’s operations. The PAC utterly failed to deliver on its promises and ultimately failed to get DeSantis to the presidency.
“This will go down as maybe the worst-orchestrated effort in modern presidential history,” said a person familiar with Never Back Down’s operations.
