Former Trump Aide Joins Pro-DeSantis PAC as Strategic Communications Director
Never Back Down, the political action committee that intends to recruit Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president in 2024, has hired a strategic communications director who was an aide to President Donald Trump, according to The New York Times.
Matt Wolking, who was deputy communications director for the 2020 Trump campaign, will join the super PAC founded by another former Trump official, Ken Cuccinelli, the Times reported Monday.
Cuccinelli was acting deputy secretary of homeland security in the Trump administration.
“Trump was the president we needed 8 years ago, but to make America great again, our movement needs a disciplined leader who wins instead of loses, never backs down, fights smart, and puts the mission before himself,” Wolking said in a tweet. “On each count, Governor Ron DeSantis is the strongest choice.”
He added that DeSantis is “bold, effective, and knows how to finish the job, so with him as president we will finally be able to win so much that we’ll be tired of all the winning.”
Governor DeSantis is bold, effective, and knows how to finish the job, so with him as president we will finally be able to win so much that we’ll be tired of all the winning.
I’m proud to support him and join @NvrBackDown24 as strategic communications director.
— Matt Wolking (@MattWolking) March 27, 2023
In addition to his work with Trump, Wolking served as a spokesman for Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in his 2021 campaign.
He also was the vice president of communications at Axiom Strategies, home to political strategists Jeff Roe and Kristin Davis, who were key advisers to Youngkin’s successful election. Roe has also joined the super PAC to support the Florida governor.
“Matt is universally respected, at the top of his game, and will play a decisive role in Never Back Down achieving our strategic objectives and parlaying the desperate attacks poorly attempted by the former president and his shrinking number of allies,” Chris Jankowski, the PAC’s executive director, told the Times.
Never Back Down also hired Erin Perrine, former director of press communications for the 2020 Trump campaign, as communications director.
She said in a Twitter post that she was “honored” to join the effort.
“Never Back Down is the movement that will bring Gov. Ron DeSantis to the White House and never apologize for having courage in our convictions that Gov. DeSantis is ready to be the 47th president of the United States,” Perrine said.
Honored to join @NvrBackDown24.
Never Back Down is the movement that will bring Gov. Ron DeSantis to the White House and never apologize for having courage in our convictions that Gov. DeSantis is ready to be the 47th president of the United States. https://t.co/ybszlnh0qu
— Erin Perrine (@ErinMPerrine) March 24, 2023
Cuccinelli started Never Back Down to draft DeSantis into the GOP primaries and “carry him to the White House.”
“The energy is there, grassroots conservatives see the Governor as a leader and a fighter with a winning conservative track record who will lead the Republican Party to victory in 2024,” Cuccinelli said in a statement.
“Based on those conversations, I am most confident that we will build an unmatched grassroots political army for Governor DeSantis to help carry him to the White House,” he said.
The PAC will reportedly serve as an outside funding resource for a potential DeSantis campaign, a strong indicator of the governor’s presidential intentions. Any funds Never Back Down raises can be directly funneled to his campaign if he runs for president.
DeSantis is widely expected to make a presidential announcement following the end of Florida’s legislative session in May.
Never Back Down did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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