DeSantis ally Cuccinelli slams Gaetz for ‘conspiracy theories’ about PAC

The leader of the political action committee supporting Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) presidential bid defended the governor this week after Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) questioned what would happen if his White House campaign failed.

Ken Cuccinelli, the founder of the Never Back Down PAC, pushed back on questions raised by Gaetz during a combative Newsmax interview guest-hosted by the Florida congressman. During the interview, Cuccinelli defended the DeSantis team’s recent move to fire a third of its staff.

“I don’t think anything’s gone wrong. I think they’re right to get leaner, and as they said, take a leaner, more insurgent approach,” Cuccinelli said.

Gaetz remarked that the DeSantis campaign appeared to have “gone wrong.” He challenged Cuccinelli to promise that his super PAC would not flip its money to any other candidate in the event DeSantis fails, including notably Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R).

“They didn’t tell me they were bringing me on for your conspiracy theories,” Cuccinelli replied before Gaetz attempted to defend it as a “fair question.”

“We’re committed solely to electing Ron DeSantis for president,” Cuccinelli added. “That means becoming the nominee first and becoming the president second. And then getting reelected president.”

DeSantis has come under fire in recent weeks amid polling showing former President Trump with a commanding lead in the GOP race.

Citing a “top-to-bottom review,” the DeSantis campaign has cut dozens of its staff in recent weeks and refocused efforts on Iowa and Texas.

He has also taken criticism from members of both parties over new education standards in Florida, a policy critiqued by Vice President Harris as well as some Republicans, like Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), a Trump backer.

Cuccinelli maintained Thursday that the race is far from over, adding he “doesn’t know of a July before where the leader actually won the nomination.”