The super PAC supporting Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination announced Monday that it's canceling a fall TV ad campaign it had reserved, telling donors that "we aren't going to waste our money."
Multiple media outlets obtained the memo, which included a nod to the insurmountable lead held by GOP front-runner and former President Donald Trump.
Trust in the Mission PAC, or "TIM PAC," announced in July that it had reserved $40 million in ad buys for the fall ahead of the Iowa caucuses. NBC News reported Monday that the PAC had $27.3 million in advertising booked.
However, PAC co-chair Rob Collins told donors in a Monday memo that it will continue to "fully fund our grassroots door knocking, conduit fundraising" and events but nixing "all of our Fall media inventory."
"We are doing what would be obvious in the business world but will mystify politicos — we aren't going to waste our money when the electorate isn't focused or ready for a Trump alternative," Collins said. "We have done the research. We have studied the focus groups. We have been following Tim on the trail. This electorate is locked up and money spent on mass media isn't going to change minds until we get a lot closer to voting."
Scott was polling at 2.1%, seventh among the GOP candidates, according to FiveThirtyEight.com's aggregate last updated Friday. Further, Scott has not yet qualified for the third GOP presidential debate Nov. 8 in Miami.
TIMPAC said it remains solidly behind Scott, with Politico reporting that some of the PAC's winter TV ad buy will remain the closer it gets to the Iowa caucuses, scheduled for Jan. 15. Scott is polling at 5.5% in Iowa, according to FiveThirtyEight.com, good for fifth but behind even former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (9.8%).
"This electorate is locked up and money spent on mass media isn't going to change minds until we get a lot closer to voting," Collins wrote.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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