Former President Donald Trump on Monday offered a preview of how he might deal with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during the Republican 2024 presidential primary.
“So you know, now I hear he might want to run against me. So we’ll handle that the way I handle things,” Trump said. He did not provide more details on DeSantis’s alleged plans.
Trump added that his 2018 endorsement of DeSantis for governor is what pushed him to win the seat: “I got him elected, pure and simple.” DeSantis in November’s midterms easily won reelection, defeating Democrat Charlie Crist by about 20 points.
But DeSantis hasn’t announced he will run for president and has brushed aside questions about a 2024 run. When debating Crist in October, DeSantis did not commit to serving four full years as Florida’s governor, while it has been reported that he will release an autobiography next year.
A number of polls have shown that DeSantis and Trump would be competitive during a GOP primary, with some polls showing the Florida governor edging out the former president.
As the midterms unfolded, Trump called DeSantis “Ron DeSanctimonious” and also stated that his endorsement was the reason why he got elected in the first place. DeSantis has not yet issued any public replies to Trump.
It came a day after Trump formally announced he would be running for president for a third time. Other Republican candidates such as former Vice President Mike Pence or former CIA Director Mike Pompeo have not declared their candidacies. And speculation has arisen about former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley and Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin joining the race.
Early polls have shown, however, that Pence, Pompeo, and Haley would face an uphill battle against the likes of Trump or DeSantis—if he runs.
While there have been questions about Trump’s 2024 strategy so far, a spokesperson stated that the race is a “marathon.”
“We are not going to play into the media’s game, where they are trying to dictate how we campaign,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told Yahoo News last month.
A spokesperson for a super PAC, or political action committee, aligned with Trump, Maga Inc., has about $55 million cash on hand. According to the spokesperson, the PAC reported bringing in $40 million in contributions between Oct. 20 and Nov. 28, with most funding coming via Trump’s Save America committee.
The Epoch Times has contacted DeSantis’s campaign for comment.
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