Trump Says It Would Be a Mistake for DeSantis to Run for the White House in 2024

[question everything]

(this was before yesterday's elections)

Flying from Ohio to Florida aboard his remodeled Boeing 757, Donald Trump caught a glimpse of himself on television. “A fine looking young man, a fine looking candidate,” he quipped to a handful of reporters. Then he saw another potential 2024 presidential contender. “There’s our competitor, he’s a fine guy,” Mr. Trump said Monday night.

He was talking about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to cruise to re-election, a victory that will ratchet up talk of a Trump-DeSantis rivalry, which had been at a low boil. On Saturday in Pennsylvania, Mr. Trump rapped him as “Ron DeSanctimonious” though he didn’t use the nickname the following day in Miami or at the final rally Monday near Dayton, Ohio.

(snip)

Mr. Trump remains the party’s heavyweight but Mr. DeSantis has built a national reputation and fundraising juggernaut. Republicans who know the Florida governor well say he is seriously considering running for president, reluctant to give into demands to wait his turn. Mr. Trump told reporters Tuesday outside a polling location in Palm Beach that he voted for the governor.

Mr. Trump endorsed Mr. DeSantis in his 2018 run for governor, lifting the tea party-styled congressman in a Republican primary over establishment favorite Adam Putnam. Mr. DeSantis went on to barely win the general election but Covid-19 helped turn him into a GOP darling as he eventually eschewed lockdowns and downplayed vaccine mandates. Mr. DeSantis has broken gubernatorial fundraising records nationally, pulling in some $200 million.

The governor didn’t ask for Mr. Trump’s endorsement this time and nor did Mr. Trump formally offer one. “If he runs, he runs,” Mr. Trump said. But he added: “If he did run, I will tell you things about him that won’t be very flattering. I know more about him than anybody other than perhaps his wife, who is really running his campaign.”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-prepares-to-launch-2024-campaign-11667586740 (subscription)

[Rocknation]

1. Duh Donald is absolutely right

It would be bad for HIM...


Rocknation

[Thomas Hurt]

2. It is a bad idea for anyone to run against the Pig anytime anywhere.

What else is a malignant narcissist going to say.

[jcgoldie]

3. "who is really running his campaign"

Is this a reference to Desantis' wife? Or is it some mysterious threat to reveal some secret influence?

[question everything]

5. His wife. This is why I wonder whether Melania can live on the prenup..

[Mariana]

9. Melania is very wealthy in her own right.

She stays with Trump because she wants to, not because she has to.

[applegrove]

4. $50 bucks says Trump will run as an independent.

[LaMouffette]

6. Hope he does and splits the Repube ticket. Dear GOP, you knew Trump was a snake when

you put him in your pocket!

[OAITW r.2.0]

7. Thank would be the perfect scenario for 2024.

Not only would that insure a Democratic victory in 2024, but the ensuing red wave bloodbath would be something else...and I do believe Trump's ego would refuse to accept DeSantis as the Republican nomination. He'd have to run as an an Independent and siphon off the MAGA vote. It will be awesome.

[moonscape]

11. He won't because he knows he would lose for sure and

being a 2-time loser would be unbearably humiliating for him.

I don’t think he’ll run at all if he isn’t convinced (delusional or otherwise) that he has enough deniers in place in swing states to install him. His anger at the midterm results was that some of those peeps lost.

[mnmoderatedem]

15. that could work to our advantage either way

either Desantis is the nominee and trump runs as an independent, or trump is the nominee and Liz Cheney runs as an independent.

[applegrove]

16. Yes. That too.

[Deuxcents]

8. I dare him. Double-triple dare him..

Let’s see the Navy guy up against Bone spurs. Ruby Red Florida will stand with the governor n endear him to even more Magas when he runs for president and loses so we can be rid of both of them. Come on, Slime..what ya got on the governor?

[TomDaisy]

10. there's nothing the media loves more than creating GOP juggernauts

[Blue Owl]

12. Sounds like more mobbed-up blubbering from The Slobfather

[roamer65]

13. Neither one can win it outright.

They can’t carry the west coast nor much of the Great Lakes or NE states.

[Maru Kitteh]

14. His attempt to insult DeSantis by saying his wife is running his campaign

reveals a bit about Melanoma's position on his latest nonsense, me thinks.