Chip Roy says Republicans privately prefer DeSantis, but are scared to ditch Trump
Julia Johnson
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Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) believes there is a new silent majority forming — a growing share of Republicans and independents who prefer Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) over former President Donald Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
In an interview with the Washington Examiner, Roy, who has endorsed DeSantis in the 2024 race, said, “My observation tells me there is a strong silent majority of people who think Gov. DeSantis would be a great direction for our country.”
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What’s stopping people from proclaiming public support for the Florida governor, Roy said, is a fear of parting ways with Trump.
“A lot of them just don’t want to break from the former president. But when you talk to them privately, they say, ‘Oh man, I really really like Gov. DeSantis. I really think he’s in a good spot. I really think he might give us a better shot in the general [election]. And he can serve eight years — all these things. But I just don’t know about coming out against Trump,'” Roy said.
He claimed that this sentiment is coming from “citizens, activists, or members of legislature — members of Congress.”
The Texas congressman then referenced a viral exchange with a Trump supporter from DeSantis’s trip to South Carolina last month. In the video, a woman tells the Florida governor that she is a “hardcore Trump supporter” but says she realized “this is the most important vote that we’re going to have, and I have to think more with my mind and what’s best for this country. And you did an excellent job. And I certainly appreciate it.”
https://twitter.com/DeSantisWarRoom/status/1681090763231309824?s=20
Roy said, “That is exactly what I’m hearing across the country when I talk to people.”
According to him, “They’re kind of going, ‘Man, this guy’s a winner. He’s solid. He’s conservative.'”
He further predicted that more people would start to be intrigued by DeSantis’s campaign.
If Trump had already served two terms and was ineligible, Roy explained, DeSantis would be far and away the preferred front-runner—even by some of his current opponents, who he noted are taking shots at the Florida governor. “It’s just politics. They’re taking shots at him, and so he’s staying the course, and this is a marathon, not a sprint.”
Remaining on the topic of Trump’s term limitation, he added, “We need someone that will be able to run for a second term. Frankly, as we saw [with] President Trump, you can’t get everything done in one term.”
Asked about DeSantis’s ability to chip away at Trump’s significant lead over himself and all other candidates — he boasts the support of more than half of Republican voters — Roy reiterated that the effort is going to take time. Roy pointed to what he said is a “10 to 15 times earned media advantage” that Trump has over DeSantis.
DeSantis, he said, is holding steady in the polls. The Florida governor has hovered between 15% and 20% since announcing his candidacy in late May. And, Roy noted, “you’re seeing numbers that are very strong” in early primary and caucus states, which can serve as pivotal turning points for the race for the Republican nomination.
He reiterated that movement in these key states and nationally “takes some time.” A candidate has to be on the ground, working hard, and earning it, he said. “And the governor is spending a lot of time shaking hands.”
Roy further claimed that the number of people who are “definitely” planning to vote for Trump has begun to decrease while the group who “definitely” plan to oppose him has grown.
In Monmouth University’s May poll, 29% definitely planned to vote for the former president in a match-up with President Joe Biden, as opposed to 46% who would absolutely oppose him. This number grew in the university’s July survey, which showed just 26% devoted to supporting him and half of respondents positively not planning to vote for him.
“A lot of those things are the kinds of important numbers behind the scenes that make an enormous difference when you look at it,” he said.
When it comes to Trump’s legal troubles, which seem to dominate media coverage and eclipse the campaigns of other 2024 contenders, Roy said, “We’re stuck in this vicious circle where all we’re talking about is which side wants to put which one of our current or former presidents in jail.”
Roy said the country needs a “fresh perspective.” DeSantis, he said, is “somebody who could serve eight years” and has a “track record of success.”
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Further, he claimed DeSantis is better than anyone else to end the weaponization of the Department of Justice, referencing Trump’s recent indictments. Roy said the DOJ is “weaponized against Trump and Republicans, generally,” but he wants “someone to come in fresh and just take it all on.”
That someone, according to him, is DeSantis.