Posted on 03/22/2023 8:02:46 AM PDT by SoConPubbie
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has finally broken his silence on his much anticipated potential 2024 presidential run, giving an interview from the governor's mansion in which he said that he has what it takes to be president and "I can beat Biden."
DeSantis sat down with Piers Morgan in a wide-ranging interview, saying "stay tuned" when asked about the potential 2024 bid for the GOP nomination. Former President Donald Trump is currently the front-runner for that spot, as he endeavors to earn his second term.
"It was clear that the governor has had enough of Trump’s constant baiting and felt ready to take him on in what could end up being a ferocious battle for the White House," Morgan said, writing about the interview for the New York Post.
"DeSantis slammed Trump over his character failings," Morgan continued, "chaotic leadership style, and for his handling of the COVID pandemic — especially in keeping controversial health chief Dr. Anthony Fauci in his post helping to run the White House Coronavirus Taskforce."
Morgan asked DeSantis how the two most popular Republicans in the country are different, and DeSantis said "Well I think there’s a few things. The approach to COVID was different. I would have fired somebody like Fauci. I think he got way too big for his britches, and I think he did a lot of damage."
DeSantis shut down Florida early on in the pandemic before opening up and giving the state the label "the free state of Florida."
"I also think just in terms of my approach to leadership," DeSantis said, slamming the former president and the man to whom he owes much of his political start, "I get personnel in the Government who have the agenda of the people and share our agenda. You bring your own agenda in you’re gone. We’re just not gonna have that. So, the way we run the Government I think is no daily drama, focus on the big picture and put points on the board and I think that’s something that’s very important."
Morgan asked about the mudslinging that has already started as rumors of a DeSantis run swirl. "I don’t know how to spell the sanctimonious one. I don’t really know what it means, but I kinda like it, it’s long, it's got a lot of vowels. We’ll go with that, that’s fine. I mean you can call me whatever you want, just as long as you also call me a winner because that’s what we’ve been able to do in Florida, is put a lot of points on the board and really take this State to the next level," he said.
Trump endorsed DeSantis when he first ran for governor, helping him beat out Andrew Gillum. "Ron DeSantis is a brilliant young leader. Yale and then Harvard who would make a great Governor of Florida. He loves our country. He’s a true fighter," Trump had said at the time.
"Things have changed a little bit, I guess. It is what it is," DeSantis said.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
Clint is 92. He was 76, 16 years ago. IMO Clint Eastwood has accomplished a lot since he turned 76. You should check that out.
Hmmmm ....
;’}
I fully understand. But some of these party posers around here forget all about that stuff.
Don’t “hint” me, sparky ..
Sure.
Nevermind that RINO Ryan and McConnell pissed away those first couple of years. And never mind the cheating in 2020.
It's gots to be Trump.
So let's vote for the candidate that Ryan and McConnell and Rove and all the other RINOs want.
Right??
Wise up Jr.
The difference is that Trump is the only one who was uniformly despised by @ssholes from all across the political spectrum.
Which is why he can’t seem to win elections except one.
I had Ron pegged many months ago. My objectivity is spot on. I can spot a eGOP hack in the dark. They smell funny. They sound funny. Brighten the room and they look funny.
Well, if the Republican nominee in a general election is not a strong conservative, the problem is that strong conservatives have not won primary elections to be the GOP nominee in the general election.
“Millions of MAGA will stay home.”
Not me. As non-enthusiastic as Dole, McCain and Romney left me, I have never understood the mentality: I won’t vote so Clinton, Obama and Biden can get in and keep ramping things up to the point to where conservatives are threatened with jail.
I too have been asking that question of Trump as well.
Interesting that you describe Lindsey Graham, Nikki Haley, and John McCain as
not a strong conservative
They remind me of Murkowski from Alaska. She voted against Republican nominee for the Supreme Court, Kavanaugh, and for Democrat nominee Jackson. Tim Scott endorsed her. McConnell supported her in the general election against the Republican candidate. Maybe at some point a Republican judge will lack one vote to be confirmed and Murkowski will vote against him. Would people still then say that McConnell is good for judges?
This conversation is at an end.
Have a nice day.
Obama’s health care wasn’t repealed because John McCain voted against repealing it.
John McCain campaigned to repeal Obama’s health care when it couldn’t be repealed because Obama was President. After that, Republicans got majorities in the House and the Senate and Trump became President. The Senate couldn’t repeal Obama’s health care because they needed one more vote. John McCain voted against repealing it.
No, not if that happened as you describe. If that happens, people’s opinion of McConnell on judges would change.
Agree.
Lefty, huh? Actually, your tendency to call anyone who disagrees with a lefty, a RINO, GOPe and the like puts you much closer to the left, at least in terms of your tactics. Can’t or won’t engage on the basis of facts and reason, so you call names and try to shut down all dissent.
I don’t despise DeSantis..
I do question greatly his judgement at this point.
HE’s got the Uniparty/Establishment/NeverTrumpers whispering in his ear, and it’s clear the machine thinks he is their great white hope to stop Trump.
Sadly I think he’s fool-hearty to listen to them. I don’t begrudge DeSantis running, let anyone wants to do so, but I just don’t think he’s showing sound judgement. IF his intent for running this round is to build up his donor network for 2028, then it makes sense, but if he thinks he can honestly take on Trump and win, I question highly his judgement.
With Trump on the ballot there is no one who is going to take him out, and if Desantis thinks going head to head and attacking Trump is going to help his cause, I doubt it highly. His surrogates sure, but him personally and directly doing it? Like it or not, the odds of him being damaged long term for such acts is far greater than any odds he’s going to win the Primary... he need to look at what happened to Cruz and Rubio, they may never recover from the damage they caused themselves in 2016 runs.
If Trump were not on the ballot, the dynamic would be different, but he is, and he and MAGA supporters are not going anywhere. They know 2020 was stolen and they are going to crawl over glass if need be to vote for him in 2024. No one, and I do mean NO ONE, is going to be able to outperform Trump in the Republican Primary, and it isn’t even going to be close. There is NO coalition anyone could put together that will remotely have the size or dedication of the Trump supporters.
Folks who tell you there is, are the same bunch of fools who were telling anyone who would listen that OZ was a winner.
That’s the political reality, short of a massive black swan event, Trump is the nominee.
I have stated it elsewhere in this thread, the more I see of DeSantis, the more the “he’s not being genuine” alarms in my gut go off... and that has nothing to do with him attacking or not attacking Trump. I don’t do not get authentic vibe out of him, and the more I see him the more that feeling grows.
This primary season is going to be UGLY... 2020 the GOP Establishment largely worked behind the scenes to prevent Trump from getting re-elected, 2024 the entire machine will be openly fighting dirty at every level to stop him with absolutely no shame.
Don’t expect any positive coverage of anything Trump does or says by anyone.
Time will tell, but I just don’t see any mathematical way DJT is not the nominee. I hope Desantis got something big in exchange for him attempting to play the spoiler, because I suspect highly he’ll be damaged goods for higher office after this is all said and done.
Like my dad would say, “If you did not vote, you have nothing to complain about.”
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