WASHINGTON (AP) – Donald Trump and Ron DeSandis have been on a collision course from the start.
Viewing the Florida governor as his most formidable enemy within the Republican Party, the former president has sought to keep DeSantis in his place, often noting the role his support played in elevating the relatively obscure congressman to the leader of one of the state’s largest states. of America.
DeSantis, for his part, has long praised Trump and emulated his style, but has refused to let go of his White House ambitions as the former president prepares to seek his old job again. In the clearest sign of tension, the two dueled in Florida in the final days of this year’s midterm elections. At his event, Trump revealed his new derisive nickname for DeSantis, calling him Ron DeSanctimonious.
The simmering rivalry between the GOP’s biggest stars is entering a new, more volatile phase after the GOP’s impressive performance in what was supposed to be a successful election year. DeSantis, who won a landslide re-election, is increasingly seen as the future of the party, while Trump, whose preferred candidates lost races from Pennsylvania to Arizona, is widely accused of being a drag on the party.
That leaves Trump in perhaps his most vulnerable position since he sparked the violent uprising at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. As he moves forward with plans to announce a third presidential bid on Tuesday, Trump is turning to a playbook that has served through decades of personal, economic and political turmoil: zeroing in on the perceived weaknesses of his enemies and hitting them with repeated attacks.
“This is how President Trump fights,” said Michael Caputo, a longtime adviser who worked on Trump’s first campaign.
In the days after Tuesday’s election, Trump made racist comments about Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngin, another possible Republican presidential candidate, saying his name sounded Chinese. It has received blistering coverage from Fox News, which, like much of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, has shifted its tone on Trump in recent days. But much of his vitriol is directed at DeSandis, a sign of the threat Trump perceives from the Florida governor.
In a lengthy statement, Trump called DeSandis an “average REPUBLICAN governor with excellent PR” and expressed anger that DeSandis did not publicly rule out challenging him.
The approach is reminiscent of Trump’s strategy in 2016, when he cleared a field of nearly a dozen rivals with a scorched-earth approach that included insulting the appearance of his then-opponent Ted Cruz’s wife and claiming that his father may have played a role in his work John F. Kennedy. murder. (Cruz later became a top ally in Congress.)
His attacks only become more ruthless when he is on the wall. After the release of the Access Hollywood tape, for example, in which Trump used foul language to brag about sexual assault, he responded by calling out the women who accused his rival Hillary Clinton’s husband, the former president, of rape and unwanted sexual harassment. in a presidential debate.
“The strategy worked in 2016, no doubt. The difference now, and I say this with all due respect to Ron DeSandis, is that he’s never stepped into the ring with a boxer like Donald Trump,” said longtime Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski, who ran his campaign campaign in 2016. “Mike Tyson has an old saying: Everyone had a plan until you got punched in the face.”
The question is whether insults will land differently when it comes to DeSantis. Among many of Trump’s staunchest supporters, DeSantis is considered part of the same group. In interviews over the past year at Trump rallies and other conservative gatherings, Trump supporters have often said they see De Sandys as Trump’s natural successor. Many expressed disbelief that the two men would ever run against each other because they seem so closely aligned.
DeSantis’ allies expect him to make a presidential announcement after the state legislative session, which ends in May. Until then, they expect him to focus on governing and avoid direct contact with Trump, as he did this week.
Regardless of when a formal presidential campaign is announced, DeSantis’ supporters are encouraging him to take advantage of the interest he’s generating right now. Some point to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as a cautionary tale, noting that he attracted widespread attention in 2012 as a potential presidential candidate. He balked, and by the time he sought the White House in 2016, the energy had shifted to Trump.
“If you want to run for president, you have to run for president when he’s running,” said Matt Caldwell, a vocal DeSantis ally in Florida.
DeSantis won re-election by nearly 20 points, including many longtime Democratic strongholds. That victory, his supporters say, demonstrates the extent of his political appeal beyond the hardline GOP base, which opposes Trump. Caldwell noted that DeSantis’ coalition included Latinos and suburban voters, voters alienated by Trump.
“The coalitions that he built, the bridges that he built, the constituencies that never touched a Republican before have embraced Republicans and Republicanism in the form of the DeSantis administration,” said Brian Ballard, a longtime Florida lobbyist who served as the inaugural president of DeSantis. and also raised millions for Trump. “He’s certainly a leader and someone who I think has demonstrated the type of coalition building that we need to win back the White House.”
Above all, Republican strategists say voters are looking for a winner.
Conservative radio host Erick Erickson, who has been hesitant about Trump for years, said many of his listeners are ready for DeSantis.
“They love Trump, they thank him, they wish him well and they’re ready to go their separate ways,” Erickson said of his callers. “Trump voters like Trump because they like winners who fight. That’s exactly how they perceive DeSantis. The only man between the two who is a loser is Trump.”
Sensing weakness, some Republican establishment insiders have begun a series of primary discussions about how to use their resources to stop Trump in 2024, realizing that a crowded primary field might just divide the electorate and allow Trump an easier path to candidacy. There is little sign that the Republican establishment is ready or able to rally behind DeSantis or any Trump alternative, however, even as some prominent Republicans begin to openly decry Trump as a political liability.
Other potential 2024 candidates, meanwhile, are waiting in the wings, with some hoping that Trump and DeSantis will bleed each other so badly that voters will look forward to a less aggressive alternative.
Sarah Longwell, a Trump critic who heads the Republican Accountability Program, said she favors “anyone but Trump” in 2024, but isn’t necessarily thrilled with DeSandis.
“I hope there will be a strong Republican primary,” Longwell said. “I definitely want every Republican to run against Trump. But I also think the Republican Party can and should do better than a cheap Trump imitation, which I think Ron DeSandis is.”
Next week, DeSantis will be among several 2024 Republican prospects gathering in Nevada for a meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition. The guest list includes former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and term-limited Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. Trump declined an invitation.
Republican Jewish Coalition major benefactor Miriam Adelson has vowed to remain neutral in the 2024 Republican primary, even after the group aggressively endorsed Trump in the last election.
Hogan, a fierce critic of Trump for years, is increasingly expected to run for the Republican presidential nomination himself.
“Going forward, there’s going to be a battle between whether we’re the party that represents common sense conservative leadership or whether we’re the party that responds to one person’s whims,” Hogan told The Associated Press. “I’m sick and tired of defeat and heartbreak. It’s time to get back to winning ways.”
title: “Trump Vs. De Sandys The Simmering Rivalry Erupts " ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-30” author: “Jenny Taylor”
Donald Trump and Ron DeSandis have been on a collision course from the start. Viewing the Florida governor as his most formidable enemy within the Republican Party, the former president has sought to keep DeSantis in his place, often noting the role his support played in elevating the relatively obscure congressman to the leader of one of the state’s largest states. of America. DeSantis, for his part, has long praised Trump and emulated his style, but has refused to let go of his White House ambitions as the former president prepares to seek his old job again. In the clearest sign of tension, the two dueled in Florida in the final days of this year’s midterm elections. At his event, Trump revealed his new derisive nickname for DeSantis, calling him Ron DeSanctimonious. The simmering rivalry between the GOP’s biggest stars is entering a new, more volatile phase after the GOP’s impressive performance in what was supposed to be a successful election year. DeSantis, who won a landslide re-election, is increasingly seen as the future of the party, while Trump, whose preferred candidates lost races from Pennsylvania to Arizona, is widely accused of being a drag on the party. That leaves Trump in perhaps his most vulnerable position since he sparked the violent uprising at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. As he moves forward with plans to announce a third presidential bid on Tuesday, Trump is turning to a playbook that has served through decades of personal, economic and political turmoil: zeroing in on the perceived weaknesses of his enemies and hitting them with repeated attacks. “This is how President Trump fights,” said Michael Caputo, a longtime adviser who worked on Trump’s first campaign. In the days after Tuesday’s election, Trump made racist comments about Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngin, another possible Republican presidential candidate, saying his name sounded Chinese. It has received blistering coverage from Fox News, which, like much of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, has shifted its tone on Trump in recent days. But much of his vitriol is directed at DeSandis, a sign of the threat Trump perceives from the Florida governor. In a lengthy statement, Trump called DeSantis an “average REPUBLICAN governor with great PR” and expressed anger that DeSantis did not publicly rule out challenging him. The approach is reminiscent of Trump’s strategy in 2016, when he cleared a field of nearly a dozen rivals with a scorched-earth approach that included insulting the appearance of his then-opponent Ted Cruz’s wife and claiming that his father may have played a role in his work John F. Kennedy. murder. (Cruz later became a top ally in Congress.) His attacks only become more ruthless when he is on the wall. After the release of the Access Hollywood tape, for example, in which Trump used foul language to brag about sexual assault, he responded by calling out the women who accused his rival Hillary Clinton’s husband, the former president, of rape and unwanted sexual harassment. in a presidential debate. “The strategy worked in 2016, there’s no doubt about it. The difference now, and I say this with all due respect to Ron DeSandis, he’s never stepped into the ring with a boxer like Donald Trump,” said the longtime Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski, who ran the 2016 Primary campaign. “Mike Tyson has an old saying: Everybody had a plan until you got punched in the face.” The question is whether insults will land differently when it comes to DeSantis. Among many of Trump’s staunchest supporters, DeSantis is considered part of the same group. In interviews over the past year at Trump rallies and other conservative gatherings, Trump supporters have often said they see De Sandys as Trump’s natural successor. Many expressed disbelief that the two men would ever run against each other because they seem so closely aligned. DeSantis’ allies expect him to make a presidential announcement after the state legislative session, which ends in May. Until then, they expect him to focus on governing and avoid direct contact with Trump, as he did this week. Regardless of when a formal presidential campaign is announced, DeSantis’ supporters are encouraging him to take advantage of the interest he’s generating right now. Some point to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as a cautionary tale, noting that he attracted widespread attention in 2012 as a potential presidential candidate. He balked, and by the time he sought the White House in 2016, the energy had shifted to Trump. “If you want to run for president, you have to take your shot when it comes,” said Matt Caldwell, a vocal DeSantis ally in Florida. DeSantis won re-election by nearly 20 points, including many longtime Democratic strongholds. That victory, his supporters say, demonstrates the extent of his political appeal beyond the hardline GOP base, which opposes Trump. Caldwell noted that DeSantis’ coalition included Latinos and suburban voters, voters alienated by Trump. “The coalitions he built, the bridges he built, constituencies that had never touched a Republican before have embraced Republicans and Republicanism in the form of the DeSantis administration,” said Brian Ballard, a longtime Florida lobbyist who served as chairman of DeSantis’ inauguration. and also raised millions for Trump. “He’s certainly a leader and someone who I think has demonstrated the type of coalition building that we need to win back the White House.” Above all, Republican strategists say voters are looking for a winner. Conservative radio host Erick Erickson, who has been hesitant about Trump for years, said many of his listeners are ready for DeSantis. “They love Trump, they thank him, they wish him well and they’re ready to break up,” Erickson said of his callers. “Trump voters like Trump because they like winners who fight. That’s exactly how they perceive DeSandis. The only guy between the two who’s a loser is Trump.” Sensing weakness, some Republican establishment insiders have begun a series of primary discussions about how to use their resources to stop Trump in 2024, realizing that a crowded primary field might just divide the electorate and allow Trump an easier path to candidacy. There is little sign that the Republican establishment is ready or able to rally behind DeSantis or any Trump alternative, however, even as some prominent Republicans begin to openly decry Trump as a political liability. Other potential 2024 candidates, meanwhile, are waiting in the wings, with some hoping that Trump and DeSantis will bleed each other so badly that voters will look forward to a less aggressive alternative. Sarah Longwell, a Trump critic who heads the Republican Accountability Initiative, said she favors “anyone but Trump” in 2024, but isn’t necessarily thrilled with DeSandis. “I hope there will be a strong Republican primary,” Longwell said. “I certainly want every Republican to run against Trump. But I also think the Republican Party can and should do better than a cheap imitation of Trump, which I think Ron DeSantis is.” Next week, DeSantis will be among several 2024 Republican prospects gathering in Nevada for a meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition. The guest list includes former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and term-limited Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. Trump declined an invitation. Republican Jewish Coalition major benefactor Miriam Adelson has vowed to remain neutral in the 2024 Republican primary, even after the group aggressively endorsed Trump in the last election. Hogan, a fierce critic of Trump for years, is increasingly expected to run for the Republican presidential nomination himself. “Going forward, there’s going to be a battle between whether we’re the party that represents common sense conservative leadership or whether we’re the party that responds to one person’s whims,” Hogan told The Associated Press. “I’m sick and tired of losing and getting beat. It’s time to get back to winning.”
