Failed Trump primary rival warns DeSantis is repeating same campaign mistakes: 'I know this firsthand'

Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who was once considered an early front-runner for the 2016 Republican nomination, told "America's Newsroom" on Wednesday that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is using the same failed campaign strategy that lost Walker the race to former President Donald Trump. Walker's remarks follow reports DeSantis has trimmed his campaign staff amid financial pressure and struggling poll numbers.

FIRST ON FOX: DESANTIS BRINGS IN $20 MILLION IN FIRST SIX WEEKS OF HIS WHITE HOUSE BID

SCOTT WALKER: They need to focus on going lean and going bold. By lean, I mean, even though he had a great second quarter in terms of fundraising, actually even outpaced the Trump campaign, the fact is they're burning up a fair amount of that money. And part of their challenge going forward is going to be much of that fundraising haul has come from higher-end donors, meaning they either have or will soon hit their maximum. So it's a shift. They need to be lean and at the same time, he needs to go bold. I know this firsthand. Just having a great track record as governor is not enough, particularly when you go head-to-head with someone like Donald Trump. And so he needs to step out, not just to have good performances, but actually kind of light a fire with primary and caucus voters with some really bold ideas that will not only help him in the polls but ultimately help him with the fundraising at the lower-dollar level, which is what you need these days to sustain a campaign. 

Trump is the current commanding front-runner in the latest GOP presidential nomination polls, despite DeSantis outpacing him in fundraising in the past three months.

DeSantis hauled in $20.1 million during the first six weeks of his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, which stretched from late May when the conservative governor and culture wars crusader announced his candidacy for the White House through the end of June, which brought to a close the second quarter of 2023 fundraising.

That tops the $17.7 million raked in by Trump’s principal presidential campaign committee during the entire three-month fundraising period.

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Trump, who is making his third straight White House run, stands at 56% support in the latest Fox News national poll of likely GOP primary voters, with DeSantis at 22% and everybody else in the single digits. Trump's lead has steadily expanded since late winter.

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.