Sen. Tim Scott's (R-SC) presidential campaign released a new memo just two days before the third GOP primary debate on Wednesday denouncing two of his 2024 rivals for their lack of conservative principles and ability to defeat former President Donald Trump for the nomination.
Jennifer DeCasper, Scott's campaign manager, predicted former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) "will devolve into a slugfest" during the Wednesday night debate in the memo released on Monday.
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DeCasper took further aim at Scott's two rivals, hitting Haley for being a moderate and knocking DeSantis for his sliding poll numbers. "Does anyone actually believe that a moderate who is running as the darling of Never Trumpers can win the GOP nomination? Nikki’s canned lines can’t change the fact that her ceiling is low and getting lower," she wrote. "Just ask Iowa Republicans. While nearly 70% say Tim Scott is conservative, just 36% say the same about her."
Haley, however, has seen her poll numbers rise in the wake of the first two GOP primary debates, to the point where she has rivaled the Florida governor in some state and national surveys. DeSantis, once seen as the most viable non-Trump candidate, has struggled in recent months as his poll numbers have declined.
"What about the man who spent $100 million to drop 30 points in the polls? The only thing consistent about Ron DeSantis’ campaign is how much it’s underwhelmed," DeCasper said. "To say nothing of the obvious question: How can either candidate present a contrast with Donald Trump when he made each of their political careers? That is the conversation Tim Scott will start Wednesday night."
Haley was a two-term South Carolina governor before Trump appointed her as ambassador to the U.N., while DeSantis was a U.S. congressman before serving as governor of Florida. Trump has frequently claimed on the campaign trail that DeSantis's success is partly due to his endorsement. For his part, DeSantis has become more willing to directly take on Trump while campaigning, and on Monday night will receive the coveted endorsement of Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) ahead of next year's Iowa caucuses.
Scott, who in a similar fashion to DeSantis has shifted his campaign to focusing on courting Iowa voters, is betting that the evangelical base will propel him to victory. DeCasper pointed to past Republican candidates who were polling well but did not ultimately win the caucuses, including Rudy Giuliani, Carly Fiorina, Rick Perry, and Michelle Bachmann, as examples of why the Scott campaign has not staggered.
Instead, she pointed to past winners, including Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, and Mike Huckabee, who were all polling in single digits at this point in the race. "For each of them, evangelical voters were the lynchpin to their success. This time around, that evangelical lane has yet to be filled. And Tim is well-positioned to fill it," DeCasper argued.
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Scott's internal polling showed that nearly half of evangelical caucusgoers are “persuadable” and are open to a non-Trump candidate. "This group alone represents 20% of the entire electorate — and they’re completely up for grabs," she wrote. "Today, Tim has the highest net favorability rating among this community (77% to 8%)."
A Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa poll released last week showed Scott in fourth place at 7% support while Trump garnered 43% support, a 27 percentage point advantage over both DeSantis and Haley who were tied at 16%. Scott, Haley, and DeSantis all qualified for the debate on Wednesday, as did Trump, who is holding a competing rally in Hialeah, Florida.