DeSantis is right: Republicans can’t stay stuck in the past
Madeline Fry Schultz
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ATLANTA, Georgia — Former President Donald Trump wants to relitigate 2020. Democrats (and Jack Smith in particular) want to relitigate 2020. And the losers are Republicans, who cannot win a presidential election by staying in the past.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) said as much at a political event hosted by radio host Erick Erickson on Friday. The presidential hopeful has his own reasons for taking shots at Trump, the front-runner in the Republican primary, but he’s right: If the GOP sticks with the 45th president, it’s sure to lose.
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On the stage with Erickson, DeSantis blasted Trump for his refusal to commit to joining the Republican presidential primary debate in Milwaukee this coming Wednesday.
“I think everyone should debate,” DeSantis said. “I think you owe it to the people to put out your vision [and] answer questions about your record.”
Trump may think he’s too big to fail (even though he did, in fact, fail in 2020), and his reluctance to debate his opponents reveals either an overabundance of ego or a lack of confidence. But DeSantis shied away from criticizing Trump too harshly, merely presenting himself as the sane alternative willing to engage with his peers.
If you’re not willing to debate, DeSantis said, “I think people are not going to look kindly on that.”
The Florida governor then brought up the 2020 election, saying that “looking backwards” won’t fix the border or rein in federal agencies, and the Republican Party’s message going into 2024 should be holding President Joe Biden accountable for his failures.
DeSantis positioned himself as the GOP’s baggage-free fighter, saying he’s “free of a lot of the other static that’s out there.” Static, presumably, meaning four indictments and repeated bogus claims of election fraud.
Trump’s playbook, which includes viciously attacking any opponent or former ally in sight, is a gift to Democrats: Election fraud claims may continue to rally his base, but they put him at odds with the majority of the country.
DeSantis noted that Democrats also want to relitigate 2020 because this lets Biden off the hook for his own scandals and administrative failures (and gives him cover to enjoy his beach vacations).
Trump ought to be willing to debate his opponents, but more importantly, Republican primary voters should wake up to the risk of failure he’d pose in a general presidential election, and not just for the White House. One need only look to the 2022 midterm elections to see just how “helpful” Trump’s continuing influence has been.
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On this point, DeSantis is right. With soaring inflation, a border crisis, parental rights under attack, and more, Republicans simply have to propose alternatives, not wallow in their own failures.
“It’s up to us to ensure that the 2024 election is a referendum on what actually matters,” DeSantis concluded. “We do that, we will win.”