Ron DeSantis says he's surprised Donald Trump is attacking him 'from the left,' explains why he's not an 'establishment Republican'
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that he is running in the 2024 presidential election on Wednesday, directly challenging former President Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination.
Following the announcement of his White House run, DeSantis engaged in a media blitz, including an interview with Glenn Beck about how he would dismantle the deep state.
During an appearance on Newsmax, DeSantis sternly repudiated accusations that he is an "establishment Republican."
DeSantis told Newsmax host Eric Bolling on Thursday:
How many establishment Republicans would have sent illegal aliens to Martha's Vineyard? How many establishment Republicans would have stood up against Disney? How many establishment Republicans would have signed the bill that I just signed to ban land purchases from people affiliated with the CCP in the state of Florida? We're now being sued by the ACLU for that. How many establishment Republicans would have leaned in to support our children against the pronoun Olympics. We banned the pronoun Olympics in our schools, we're the first state to do that. How many establishment Republicans would have banned gender transition surgeries for minors? We not only would take the doctor's medical license, we'll put the doctor in jail if they are mutilating minors. So on every issue, that kind of the old guard of the Republican Party would have shied away from it a New York minute, I'm not only leaning into them, I'm winning against the media and against the left. You know, we say, 'Florida as the place where woke goes to die, because we've defeated the left on all these fronts. And my pledge if I'm elected president after two terms we will leave woke ideology in the dustbin of history.
\u201cThis Ron DeSantis counterpunch to the label "establishment Republican" is pure gold:\n\n"How many establishment Republicans would have sent illegal aliens to Martha's Vineyard? How many establishment Republicans would have stood up against Disney? How many establishment Republicans\u2026\u201d— Scott Morefield (@Scott Morefield) 1685068012
DeSantis also addressed the barrage of attacks that Trump has levied against him.
I think that some of the things he's been attacking me on, I've been a little surprised at, because he's attacking me from the left, and that really wasn't the Donald Trump from 2015 and 2016. I mean, he was a hard charger leaning in on all the issues very edgy on conservative issues, and it was part of the reason he did so well. But when he's taken Disney's side against me, I just kind of wonder like, okay, I get he wants to hit me, but don't take the side of a multinational corporation that wants to sexualize kids. He's also hitting me against voting against immigration amnesty.
DeSantis said he took an "America first" approach regarding amnesty.
"I'm not sure what his strategy is, but I think he's taking positions that are a little bit different than four or five years ago," he stated.
\u201cRon DeSantis hits back at Trump's attacks: "He's attacking me from the left, and that really wasn't the Donald Trump from 2015 and 2016 ... I get he wants to hit me, but don't take the side of a multinational corporation that wants to sexualize kids."\u201d— Scott Morefield (@Scott Morefield) 1685065261
DeSantis also accused Trump of "running to the left" during an interview with Tennessee radio host Matt Murphy.
"It seems like he’s running to the left, and I have always been somebody that’s just been moored in conservative principles,” DeSantis said of Trump.
"These will be interesting debates to have, but I can tell you, you don’t win nationally by moving to the left," the Florida governor continued. "You win nationally by standing for bold policy. We showed that in Florida. I never watered down anything I did."
Speaking of the DeSantis campaign announcement on Twitter Spaces with Elon Musk that was temporarily plagued early by technical glitches, Trump declared the event to be a "disaster."
Trump wrote on Truth Social, "Wow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER! His whole campaign will be a disaster. WATCH!"
He added, "I know Ron. The way he handled his announcement, he will handle the country!"
Trump also claimed that DeSantis had "zero chance of winning the Republican primary for governor of Florida before a man named President Donald J. Trump endorsed him."
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DeSantis hauls in a record $8.2 million in 24 hours after launching presidential campaign, easily beating Biden and Trump
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hauled in a record $8.2 million in the first 24 hours after launching his presidential campaign.
DeSantis was able to garner millions even though his presidential campaign announcement was blemished by temporary technical difficulties at the start of the Twitter Spaces event with Elon Musk, which had nearly 4 million people tune in.
DeSantis easily out-fundraised the past two presidents – who are currently the front-runners in the 2024 race.
"The money raised by DeSantis tops the previous record – the $6.3 million that President Joe Biden hauled in as a White House candidate during the first 24 hours after his campaign launch in 2019," according to Fox News.
Donald Trump raised $9.5 million in his first six weeks after announcing his 2024 candidacy in mid-November. The former Republican president also reportedly raised $7 million in the three days after his indictment in Manhattan.
Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting DeSantis, expects to have an overall budget of at least $200 million – including $80 million transferred from an old DeSantis state political account.
Top officials with Never Back Down believe they can promote DeSantis as "the only candidate to take on — and win — the cultural fights that are definitional for the Republican Party in 2024," according to the New York Times.
The super PAC is preparing to launch a "$100 million voter-outreach push so big it plans to knock on the door of every possible DeSantis voter at least four times in New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina — and five times in the kickoff Iowa caucuses."
Never Back Down plans to hire more than 2,600 field organizers by Labor Day in an attempt to sway Americans to vote for DeSantis in the upcoming Republican primary. The organization – which was established in March by Ken Cuccinelli, a former senior official in Donald Trump's administration – has already started hiring recruits in 18 states.
Never Back Down executive director Chris Jankowski told the Times, "No one has ever contemplated the scale of this organization or operation, let alone done it. This has just never even been dreamed up.”
Never Back Down hired top Republican strategist Jeff Roe, the founder of political consultancy Axiom Strategies and Sen. Ted Cruz's campaign manager in 2016, as well as a close adviser to Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Roe conceded that Trump has been "the leader of a movement," but proclaimed that DeSantis "has the opportunity to be the leader of the party and the movement."
"That is a key difference," Roe stated. "I don’t believe people fundamentally understand that you can be a leader of a movement and not be the leader of your party. Ron DeSantis has the ability to be both. Trump does not."
Regarding defeating Trump, Roe said, "How do you beat Trump? Well, you beat Trump by beating Trump. And where Ron DeSantis has beaten Trump is by doing what Republican voters want him to do the most.”
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Ron DeSantis reportedly preparing for 2024 presidential run. A 'more angry' Donald Trump takes shot at 'disloyal' Florida governor.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is reportedly preparing for a 2024 presidential run. At the same time, former President Donald Trump is taking shots at "disloyal" DeSantis for considering a potential run for the White House in 2024.
The Washington Post reported on Saturday, "Advisers to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are actively preparing for a possible presidential run, according to two Republicans with knowledge of the conversations who described meetings and preliminary staffing moves — the latest indication that DeSantis is laying a foundation for a national campaign."
The report claimed that the top dogs in the potential DeSantis 2024 campaign team have "already identified multiple potential hires in early primary states such as New Hampshire and Iowa."
The political insider informed the outlet that Phil Cox and Generra Peck are part of the discussions about a 2024 run. Peck was the campaign manager for Ron's dominant 2022 gubernatorial victory against Charlie Crist. Cox is a former executive director of the Republican Governors Association and was a senior-level adviser for the DeSantis reelection campaign.
Also on Saturday, Trump took a shot at DeSantis for even contemplating a 2024 presidential run during a campaign event at the statehouse in downtown Columbia, South Carolina.
"When I hear that he might [run] I think it’s very disloyal,” Trump said of DeSantis.
Trump accused DeSantis and his administration of “trying to rewrite history” regarding their COVID-19 pandemic response.
"There are Republican governors that did not close their states,” Trump told reporters while aboard his plane, according to CNN. "Florida was closed for a long period of time."
"They're trying to rewrite history," Trump declared.
In March 2020, DeSantis signed an executive order closing bars and nightclubs. He also ordered restaurants to close their dining rooms and use take-out and delivery only.
The Republican Florida governor reopened the state completely in late September 2020. DeSantis also signed an order to protect businesses from local governments attempting to shut them down over mask mandate violations.
Trump also said DeSantis "changed his tune a lot" regarding the COVID-19 vaccines, adding that the Florida governor "promoted the vaccine as much as anyone."
Trump brushed off the possibility of DeSantis beating him, "He won’t be leading, I got him elected. I'm the one that chose him."
However, a University of New Hampshire poll released on Thursday showed that DeSantis (42%) led Trump (30%) by 12 points.
A Marquette Law School poll released on Thursday found that 45% of registered voters prefer DeSantis over 38% who prefer President Joe Biden in a hypothetical matchup. Meanwhile, Trump and Biden are deadlocked at 40%.
A Morning Consult poll from earlier this month showed Trump receiving 46% of the Republican primary vote versus 33% for DeSantis.
Trump endorsed DeSantis in 2018, and the then-congressman went on to narrowly beat Democratic darling, Andrew Gillum.
Earlier on Saturday, Trump made a stop in Salem, New Hampshire.
"This is it. We’re starting right here as a candidate for president," Trump told members of the New Hampshire GOP at their annual meeting.
Trump dismissed the notion that he isn't committed to running in 2024.
"They said, 'He’s not doing rallies, he is not campaigning. Maybe he’s lost his step,'" Trump said, then added, "I'm more angry now, and I’m more committed now than I ever was."
During the Columbia appearance, Trump touted endorsements from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster.
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