Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has stepped up his rhetoric against former President Donald Trump, arguing his rival cannot win next year’s general election because his candidacy would only “energize” Democrats to come out and support President Biden.
“I don’t think anyone voted for Biden [in 2020]OKAY?” DeSantis, 45, said Thursday during an event with Florida sheriffs in Tampa.
“They voted against Trump!” the governor continued, raising his voice. “That’s why they do it. I mean, honestly, he energizes the Democrats. You could have John Kennedy walk through the door right now, and he wouldn’t energize the Democrats the way Donald Trump did. That’s just the reality.”
DeSantis then argued that he was the only candidate with a track record of defeating a Democratic incumbent, citing his two recent election victories in the Sunshine State.
“We defeated these Democrats. We left the Democratic Party in Florida in ruins. They’re dead,” he said, noting that the state’s Republican voter registration advantage was nearly 600,000 under his administration.
DeSantis speaks during a campaign event at The Vault on October 5, 2023, in Tampa, Florida.Getty Images
Last year, DeSantis won re-election as Florida governor by the largest margin in 40 years, defeating Democrat Charlie Crist by 19 percentage points.
Asked by reporters if DeSantis felt he had more support in his home state than fellow Floridian Trump, 77, the governor replied: “Well, he won by three goals. I won by 20. So I don’t know what you think is better.”
The Republican nominee continued his attack on the former president in an interview with CNBC Friday morning.
DeSantis said that he didn’t “think anybody voted for Biden” and that “they voted against Trump!”Getty Images
“I think ultimately, the choice for Republicans is, do we want someone who is going to produce leadership and decisions that are going to change this country?” he told “Squawk Box.”
“You ask, can Florida’s success be replicated nationally? Of course it is. What they have in DC is theater, it’s performing, but it’s not actually producing results for the people,” DeSantis added. “In Florida, I’m a leader. I’m not an entertainer, I don’t run soap operas here.”
Later in the interview, DeSantis acknowledged that “some people are going to be with Trump no matter what.
Trump leads DeSantis by a wide margin in their home states.REUTERS
“But I think the majority of people are people who appreciate what he does, [but] they also understand that he has limitations in terms of his electability. He will be a lame duck on day one if he can be elected. I think he will have a big problem with the staff. And of course, he didn’t follow through on his top promises to drain the swamp, get Mexico to pay for the border wall, or write off the debt. He added $7.8 trillion to the debt. So it’s all fair game. We will be able to make that case, and I have communicated this policy better than anyone.”
DeSantis’ renewed focus on Trump is consistent with his campaign message that the Republican primary is a two-person race between himself and the former president. Trump is leading GOP primary fields by wide margins — including in Florida, where a July poll showed him leading DeSantis in second place by 20 points.
The Florida stop, however, runs outside DeSantis’ renewed campaign strategy to focus on Iowa to defeat Trump in the nation’s first state.
The DeSantis campaign is moving a third of its Florida staff to Iowa to try to get caucus voters to turn out for governor on Jan. 15. DeSantis will return to Iowa this weekend for a “three-day swing,” as he attempts to hit all 99 counties in the Hawkeye State.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
