Head of Ron DeSantis Super PAC steps down following internal turmoil among the Florida governor’s top allies – and after two strategists nearly got into a brawl

The head of the Never Back Down super PAC, which pushed Ron DeSantis’ presidential candidacy, resigned shortly before Thanksgiving, a sign of unrest amid the candidate’s election challenges.

Chris Jankowski, the CEO of the PAC that foots the bill for much of DeSantis’ bus travel through key battleground states, resigned Wednesday, days after a group of other DeSantis allies announced the formation of a separate PAC called Fight Right Inc. . .

The move follows a report of brutal power struggle between factions of DeSantis backers, NBC reported.

Jeff Roe, Never Back Down’s lead adviser, reportedly got into a “heated” argument with DeSantis adviser Scott Wagner during a budget meeting.

“You have a big stick behind you, Scott,” Roe rages at Wagner, who sits on the board of Never Back Down.

“Why don’t you come over here and get it?” Wagner, a source told the station, told him in a stunning account of how the two men “almost collided.”

Jankowski’s resignation was effective immediately after he sent his resignation to the PAC board New York Times reported.

As an outside group, Never Back Down is prohibited from coordinating with the candidate’s campaign. But that could lead to tensions over strategy, even if DeSantis is hosted at fundraisers and listed as a “special guest,” while the candidate can avoid burning through his campaign contributions, which are limited by donor limits.

The PAC has taken a lot of shots at rival Nikki Haley in recent days, even comparing her to Hillary Clinton.

The PAC has become so closely tied to DeSantis that voters linked him to his attacks on his rivals.

Amid the internal strife, DeSantis is relying heavily on Iowa after the state’s evangelical leader, Bob Vander Plaats, endorsed Florida’s governor.

DeSantis had already won the support of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds as he tries to deal an early blow to former President Donald Trump, who is dominating his Republican opponents in pre-election polls.

Vander Plaats endorsed the last three Iowa winners, a group that also includes Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (2016), former Sen. Rick Santorum (2012) and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (2008).

Remarkably, none of them became president.

Vander Plaats, leader of the influential party, says his support could be decisive if Trump needs to be stopped.

If Trump wins in Iowa, he will likely be the nominee, he said. “But I don’t think America is going to elect him president again,” said Vander Plaats, leader of the influential Family Leader group.

“I think America would do well to have a choice, and I really believe Ron DeSantis should be that guy,” he told Fox News. “And I think Iowa is tailor-made for him to win this.”

Trump’s campaign ridiculed the endorsement, calling Vander Plaats “Vander Plaat$” and citing a Reuters report that DeSantis and his allies gave the Family Leader Foundation $95,000 to buy ads.

“Bob Vander Plaat$ is endorsing a candidate who will never become president,” Trump’s campaign said in a statement.

A strong performance in Iowa could give DeSantis a needed boost, with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley seizing the momentum and coming in second to Trump in New Hampshire.

The Trump campaign rejected evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats’s endorsement of DeSantis. He trails the last three Iowa winners, though none of them advanced to the White House

Trump leads DeSantis by 30 points in Iowa according to the RealClearPolitics average. He leads Haley by 27 points in New Hampshire.

Reynolds’ support has not provided a boost in the polls, even as DeSantis campaigned in Iowa. His deputy campaign manager promises a boost amid continued attention on the state.

“As we approach Thanksgiving, there isn’t a caucusgoer in Iowa who hasn’t already had the opportunity to see Ron DeSantis at least once and ask him a question, shake his hand,” David Polyansky told Wall Street Journal.

With just weeks to go before the Iowa caucuses, he promised “a teeming, fast-paced campaign that will squeeze the political life out of our competition.”