Trump fires back as DeSantis escalates 2024 feud: ‘My fault, I put him there’
Brady Knox
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Former President Donald Trump renewed his attacks on Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) after the governor criticized him in a recent interview.
Piers Morgan put out a preview of his interview with DeSantis on Tuesday. The interview will be aired Thursday on Fox Nation and features DeSantis’s most overt attack on Trump yet.
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In the interview, the Florida governor bashed Trump’s record. In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump escalated his attacks against DeSantis and said the interview was an admission that he will run for president.
For perhaps the first time, Trump’s tirade against DeSantis was centered on the Florida governor’s legislative record.
“Now that Ron DeSanctimonious is finally admitting he’s in the Race by beginning to fight back, and now that his Polls have crashed so he has no other choice, let me explain the facts,” Trump began.
“He is, for a Republican, an average Governor, he got 1.2 million less Votes in Florida than me, he fought for massive cuts in Social Security and Medicare, and wanted Social Security minimum age to be raised to 70-years-old, or more. He is a disciple of Paul Ryan, and did whatever Ryan told him to do,” the former president continued.
Trump then shifted his aim to DeSantis’s handling of the pandemic and said he owes his governorship to the former president’s endorsement.
“Florida has been successful for many years, long before I put Ron there—It’s amazing what Ocean and Sunshine will do! Surprise, Ron was a big Lockdown Governor on the China Virus, sealing all beaches and everything else for an extended period of time, was Third Worst in the Nation for COVID-19 Deaths (losing 86,294 People), Third Worst for Total Number of Cases, at 7,516,906. Other Republican Governors did MUCH BETTER than Ron and, because I allowed them this ‘freedom,’ never closed their States,” Trump continued. “Remember, I left that decision up to the Governors! For COVID Death Rates Per State, Ron, as Governor of Florida, did worse than New York.”
Continuing to employ statistics to attack DeSantis’s record, Trump moved on to bash Florida in general.
“In Education, Florida ranks among the worst in the Country and on crime statistics, Florida ranked Third Worst in Murder, Third Worst in Rape, and Third Worst in Aggravated Assault,” he wrote.
“For 2022,” he added, “Jacksonville was ranked as one of the Top 25 Major Crime Cities in the Country, with Tampa and Orlando not doing much better. On Education, Florida ranks #39 in Health & Safety in the Country, #50 in Affordability, and #30 in Education & Childcare, HARDLY GREATNESS THERE!”
He concluded by saying DeSantis’s accomplishments have all been a “Mirage.”
“The fact is, Ron is an average Governor, but the best by far in the Country in one category, Public Relations, where he easily ranks Number One—But it is all a Mirage, just look at the facts and figures, they don’t lie—And we don’t want Ron as our President!” Trump said.
Trump’s Truth Social feed was also filled with new polls showing him up against DeSantis as the preferred Republican nominee in 2024.
DeSantis gave strong hints in the interview with Morgan that he is planning to run in 2024, claiming he has what it takes to beat Biden and that his time as Florida governor has prepared him for the presidency.
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Trump also responded directly to DeSantis’s interview with Morgan, claiming he played a major role in getting him elected governor.
“While I am fighting against Radical Left Lunatics, Persecutors, and unfair Prosecutors who want to destroy us all, Ron DeSanctimonious is not working for the people of Florida as he should be, he is too busy chatting with a Ratings Challenged TV Host from England, desperately trying to rescue his failing Campaign — But it’s my fault, I put him there!” he said on Truth Social.