The presidential campaign for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reportedly cut dozens of staff members in an attempt to reorganize to improve his polling numbers.

The total included 38 staffers as part of an aggressive shift to position DeSantis to gain ground on former President Donald Trump.

DeSantis Campaign Lays Off Dozens of Staff Members as It Attempts to Reset https://t.co/R3MYG7Ovqv

— Patti712 (@PES712) July 25, 2023

The statement

“Following a top-to-bottom review of our organization, we have taken additional, aggressive steps to streamline operations and put Ron DeSantis in the strongest position to win this primary and defeat Joe Biden,” campaign manager Generra Peck said in a statement.

“Gov. DeSantis is going to lead the Great American Comeback, and we’re ready to hit the ground running as we head into an important month of the campaign,” she added.

Tick Tock.https://t.co/A780DwS3ch

— Michael Steele (@MichaelSteele) July 25, 2023

A comeback for the comeback?

"DeSantis had to announce two dozen layoffs because of financial struggles. It later emerged that one dismissed staffer secretly created and shared a video with Nazi imagery. And at the same time, a new poll in the all-important state of Iowa showed his support declining to a low of 15 percent compared to frontrunner Donald Trump’s 42 percent," the Messenger reported.

"The wave of bad news in less than eight hours marked the worst day ever for DeSantis's once-ascendant political career. Now his candidacy looks in decline, and it's close to being written off for dead by seasoned pollsters and insiders who say his window for success is rapidly narrowing," it added.

Breaking: Ron DeSantis is letting go of more than 1/3 of his campaign staff. https://t.co/vUYpLyXfiB

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 25, 2023

The slim-down

"The expanded cuts are the latest sign that the Florida governor’s team is pivoting to a slim-down operation amid concerns over their finances," Politico reported.

"The campaign announced it had raised $20 million during the second quarter of this year. But it had spent a good chunk of that money. Much of the sum it raised, moreover, came from donors who had given the maximum amount and could not give again," it added.

The campaign is still early but DeSantis is looking for an improvement as he struggles to catch Trump and finds other candidates gaining on his number-two position.

The first Republican debate next month may allow him an opportunity to present his vision compared to other candidates but a lot could happen before then as the competition heats up.

The Florida governor jumped into the race as a strong candidate who now needs new momentum to stand out in the 2024 campaign.