Team Trump should worry less about Ron DeSantis and more about Alvin Bragg
Christopher Tremoglie
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The news that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg would indict former President Donald Trump on Tuesday caused quite an uproar this week. Rightfully so. Many were outraged that a rogue and highly partisan left-wing prosecutor would target a former president, seemingly with little evidence to support his case. Team Trump mounted a public relations defense, asserting that there was no wrongdoing by the former president and calling the whole ordeal a witch hunt.
But then something strange happened. Supporters of the president inexplicably turned their wrath to not any Democrats or liberals or anyone associated with Bragg. Instead, seemingly in unison, Team Trump pivoted their rage to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).
STOP WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL ENDORSEMENTS!
First, they demanded he comment on the charges, even though the situation had nothing to do with him or the state he governs. Then, when he commented, he was attacked again because it wasn’t a strong enough defense of the 45th president. DeSantis was damned if he did, damned if he didn’t for a legal battle he is not remotely involved with. It made absolutely no sense.
Looking at many of the comments on social media, one could presume that more of Trump’s supporters inexplicably had more anger at DeSantis than Bragg. Tons of Twitter posts demanded that DeSantis comment condemning the possible indictment. There are 26 Republican governors in the country, including at least two who might run for the 2024 Republican nomination, yet all of MAGA was demanding DeSantis, and only DeSantis, say something.
It’s as if the man lives in Trump’s head.
Consider some of the weird, odd, and otherwise stupid social media posts of people criticizing DeSantis and anyone supporting him. Many called him a RINO, or Republican in name only. Others said he turned on Trump and was an establishment shill. Others accused him of being a puppet for Paul Ryan and Jeb Bush.
Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. took to Twitter to disparage DeSantis. Onetime aide and talk show host Sebastian Gorka also criticized DeSantis. The condemnation was rampant all over social media. One person even foolishly tweeted that anyone who supported DeSantis was “a full-blown spiritual communist,” which is … well, amazing.
If you came upon this without knowing what had happened, you might presume that it was DeSantis who was considering charging Trump.
These are not serious people. DeSantis is not the enemy — the radical Manhattan DA is. Bragg is suspected of abusing his power and targeting Trump, not DeSantis. Through their wild insecurities, it’s apparent that Team Trump is very afraid of the candidacy of DeSantis. They’ll never admit it; they’ll try to act macho and deny it. Yet their obsessive actions speak much louder than words.
Their weird cultlike behavior also reflects what helped bring the downfall of Trump’s presidency. Trump was so worried about attacking everyone he thought was a threat that he became distracted from doing the critical things he had made part of his platform. In this case, the actions of Alvin Bragg matter, not those of Ron DeSantis.