DeSantis cuts additional campaign staff in effort to 'streamline operations'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is making additional cuts to his presidential campaign staff, two senior campaign officials told CNN, shrinking his payroll by more than a third as he continues to reboot his struggling White House bid.

The cuts come after the Republican candidate promised to donors over the weekend a "leaner" and more "insurgent" campaign to take on former President Donald Trump for the 2024 GOP nomination.

Thirty-eight positions across all departments will be impacted, which include previously announced cuts in event planning, bringing the total cuts to more than a third of the campaign's payroll, the officials said. One of the officials cited "budget" as a reason for the cuts, which were first reported by Politico, after the campaign spent more than $1 million on payroll in its first six weeks.

In a statement to CNN, DeSantis campaign manager Generra Peck said the cuts followed 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," Peck said. "Governor 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."

Tuesday's staff purge comes after the campaign attempted more modest cuts to reign in expenses after it spent 40% of the $20 million it raised between entering the race in late May and June 30. Earlier this month, two veterans of his political operation, Dave Abrams and Tucker Obenshain, left the campaign. Days later, a spokesperson for the DeSantis campaign confirmed to CNN it let go some staffers, after Politico reported the campaign cut fewer than 10 staffers in event planning.

As the weeks progressed, though, it became increasingly clear that more changes were necessary to ensure the Florida governor has the resources to mount a challenge to Trump and stave off the rest of the Republican field.