Scott’s super PAC cancels TV ad reservations as campaign sputters

The super PAC supporting Tim Scott’s presidential bid is canceling most of its remaining TV spending, reversing course after reserving $40 million in ads for him ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

The retreat from TV is the latest sign of how dire the primary has become for a candidate who once anticipated outside help from big donors — but who is now polling in low single digits and hasn’t yet qualified for the third debate.

In a memo to donors, Trust In the Mission PAC, also known as “TIM PAC,” announced it will cancel “all of our Fall media inventory,” according to a copy of the document obtained by POLITICO.

“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,” wrote Rob Collins, co-chair of the super PAC, who said the “Never-Trump field” is going to be “wasting money this fall” trying to undermine Trump’s current lead.

“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 continued.

The group will instead “fully fund” its current grassroots and door-knocking program, Collins told donors. “The field remains splintered, so we will be patient,” he said.

It’s unclear how much of the $40 million television ad program the super PAC is canceling. A person with knowledge of the plan, granted anonymity to speak freely, said some winter advertising scheduled closer to the Iowa caucuses will remain.

The super PAC’s reversal of strategy illustrates the continued difficulty anyone but Donald Trump has had gaining traction in the GOP primary. The pivot comes as the South Carolina senator is lagging in both early state and national polling, and as he has been eclipsed by his homestate rival, Nikki Haley. While Scott’s polling average remains around 6 percent in the first-caucus state of Iowa, his national standing is even lower, at 2 percent, with a recent Fox News poll showing him at 1 percent.

Collins wrote that the super PAC will host events for Scott, a strategy that for months has been employed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his allied super PAC as the governor’s own campaign faced a cash crunch. Scott on Sunday reported raising $4.6 million in the third quarter, while burning through more than $12 million from July through September.

Scott was once seen by high-dollar GOP donors and some Republican consultants as one of the top alternatives to Trump, should DeSantis’ momentum fizzle out. DeSantis’ polling lead over his non-Trump rivals has indeed all but vanished, though Haley is now the one with the attention of top Republican financiers desperately trying to stop Trump from securing the nomination — a task that remains a longshot.

The pro-Scott super PAC, headed by Collins and former Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), in July touted its substantial $40 million fall television advertisement reservation, a series of ads that would run in the early states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina through January. To date, TIM PAC has run just over $10 million worth of television ads, a nearly equal amount to Scott’s campaign, according to AdImpact.

Scott in the past week has dismissed questions about whether he intends to drop out soon, including after conservative columnist George Will called on him to leave the race and endorse Haley.

Collins also cautioned against any movement to unite around Haley, writing that those at the super PAC “reject this advice” and slamming her as not being conservative enough to win the Republican nomination.

“No serious person thinks a moderate will win this primary no matter how many elite insiders champion their candidacies,” he said, while later saying “DeSantis and Haley have only traded vote share.”

In response to a request for comment on the super PAC’s change in strategy, Scott campaign spokesperson Matt Gorman said the campaign, from its launch, “was built for the long haul,” noting Scott’s early cash advantage and high favorability ratings.

“On issues ranging from foreign policy to abortion, he has been the clearest and strongest voice, leading while others have followed,” Gorman said in a statement. “We’re ready, as ever, to take our message into the early states and beyond.”