Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis.Photo: Phelan M. Ebenhack for The Washington Post via Getty, CHENEY ORR/AFP via Getty
On Friday, the Florida governor and 2024 presidential hopeful, 44, toldThe Florida Standardthat Trump supporters were “listless vessels.”
“You can be the most conservative person since sliced bread,”he said, but “unless you’re kissing his rear end, they will somehow call you a RINO. So unless you’re totally detached from principle and what you actually believe — and results — it’s more about, you know, what faction you happen to do.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks with Erick Erickson at The Gathering in Atlanta on Aug. 18, 2023.Nathan Posner/Shutterstock
Nathan Posner/Shutterstock
Speaking about how he believes this extends as far as Capitol Hill, DeSantis said that Trump’s followers will back politicians with “incredibly liberal left-wing records” just because they support the former president. DeSantis claims that his own backers are different because they “have records of principle.”
“The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had,” Trumpwroteon his social media platform, Truth Social. “I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!”
A source toldNBC Newsthat the decision covers the first two debates, while also leaving the door open over whether Trump may change his mind at some point in the future.
Donald Trump departs Trump Tower to head to a Manhattan courthouse to answer to criminal charges on April 4, 2023.CJ GUNTHER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Even on the heels offour historic indictments, Trump sits about 40 points ahead of the rest of the Republican candidates according to 2024 primary polling averages, with DeSantis situated in a distant second place.
DeSantis, once seen as a strong challenger to the former president, has struggled to get the support he expected since launching his campaign, ultimately laying off about a third of his staff this summer for financial reasons.
Some of the wealthiest GOP donors have also reportedlyreconsidered their support of DeSantis' candidacy, citing his extremist views as a liability.
source: people.com
