The campaign for GOP frontrunner Donald Trump is not taking the actions of one of its former staffers laying down.
On Wednesday, the Trump campaign blasted Erin Perrine – its one-time director of communications – after she decided to join a super PAC that’s supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Perrine, who served in the leadership role in Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign, appeared on the “Mornings with Maria” program on Fox Business Network on Wednesday. That appearance, where she talked about her new role backing DeSantis, is what the Trump campaign didn’t take kindly to.
Following the appearance, the Trump War Room account posted on the social media platform X:
“Look at this grifter @ErinPerrine trying to use her previous Trump association to get on TV. She chose to side with DeSanctimonious and nothing can ever wash that foul stench of s— off her. MAGA disowns her and anyone else that associates/works with her. TRAITOR!”
In addition to a direct attack on Perrine, the post seemed to be a veiled warning to the Fox Business Network anchor, Maria Bartiromo, who hosted her on the show.
Perrine had joined the super PAC Never Back Down, which was supporting DeSantis for the GOP presidential nomination for this election cycle. However, there was much turmoil and controversy at the super PAC, mainly related to low fundraising and polling numbers for its candidate, apparently as a result of ineffective ad campaigns.
Late last year, the super PAC went on a firing rampage, letting go of a number of its key officials. Perrine, who had been serving as a spokesperson for the group, was one of those people let go in early December.
During her appearance on Fox Business Network on Wednesday, Perrine discussed the 2024 presidential election in general. She pointed out how President Joe Biden was struggling mightily, specifically how recent polls have shown that he’s starting to hemorrhage some of his key voting blocs.
As she explained:
“Another point here when you look at this polling isn’t that Donald Trump is building more within these coalitions. We have seen some slight movement, but it’s not like these voters are leaving Joe Biden and going to Donald Trump.
“Especially with black voters, they’re looking at a third-party candidate as a possibility. That’s a spoiler for Democrats if that is the case come the 2024 election.”
It’s comments like that – which are critical of Biden but not all-out supportive of Trump – that angers his campaign. They want people wholeheartedly behind their candidate, and not just profiting off his likeness, as Perrine seems to be trying to do.
The former Trump campaign staffer went on to say that Democrats haven’t been able to drum up enough enthusiasm for their candidate as he looks almost certain to face off head-to-head against Trump in a 2020 rematch.
While she added that there’s a “long runway until election day,” Biden and his administration should be very concerned about how things stand now.
