Donald Trump takes another shot at Ron DeSantis, says he received ‘more votes’ in Florida than the Governor
Has Donald Trump made a tactical error?

trump
The former President keeps goading Florida's Governor.

Gov. Ron DeSantis may believe Tuesday night’s re-election was a “win for the ages,” but former President Donald Trump isn’t sold.

Trump took to Truth Social to diminish DeSantis’ accomplishment Wednesday.

“Now that the Election in Florida is over, and everything went quite well, shouldn’t it be said that in 2020, I got 1.1 Million more votes in Florida than Ron D got this year, 5.7 Million to 4.6 Million? Just asking?”

Trump’s statement elides key context, including the reality that more people vote in presidential election years than other cycles.

But for those looking for evidence that Trump feels pressure from the freshly re-elected Florida Governor, the Truth Social post offered yet another slice of proof.

Trump, despite endorsing DeSantis and claiming to have voted for him Tuesday, continues to go negative on the Governor.

Trump derided DeSantis on NewsNation and Fox News in reports that ran Election Day. He recycled his claim that he carried DeSantis to the Governor’s Mansion in 2018 and threatened to spill secrets about the Governor should DeSantis run in 2024.

“He was not going to be able to even be a factor in the race. And as soon as I endorsed him, within moments, the race was over,” Trump said. “I got him the nomination. He didn’t get it. I got it, because the minute I made that endorsement, he got it.”

“Then he ran, and he wasn’t supposed to be able to win,” Trump said, describing the Governor’s race against Democrat Andrew Gillum. “I did two rallies, we had 52,000 people each one and he won. I thought that he could have been more gracious. But that’s up to him.”

“I would tell you things about him that won’t be very flattering — I know more about him than anybody — other than, perhaps, his wife,” Trump added, per Fox News.

Before those interviews in recent days, Trump devoted time at multiple rallies to spotlighting a poll extremely favorable to the former President, showing him with 71% support in a hypothetical national Republican Primary, compared to 10% for the man he called “Ron DeSanctimonious.”

“All right, so it’s Trump, 71. Ron DeSantis, 10. That’s OK,” Trump deadpanned on Monday night in Ohio.

Trump claims he made DeSantis, but clearly the dynamic has frayed, and should be expected to deteriorate further.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has written for FloridaPolitics.com since 2014. He is based in Northeast Florida. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


35 comments

  • Ocean Joe

    November 9, 2022 at 5:51 pm

    OK reds, you got your Hatfields and McCoys. Seems to me it’s time to dump Trump on the garbage heap. Give up on election denialism and a thousand other lies. You can win elections fairly. You don’t have to ransack the capitol. You don’t need to cling to climate denialism ether. Rejoin America. I’m shocked you didn’t wipe the Dems out yesterday. Win with good ideas instead of losing with losers like the bloated, spoiled brat.

    • Kathleen

      November 10, 2022 at 3:09 am

      DeSantis is a Rino and Trump made him and now he’ll break him. Media praising DeSantis should tell patriots HELL NO. Morons falling back into media brainwashing. Wake up

      • James

        November 10, 2022 at 9:45 am

        If the January 6 insurrection showed us anything, it’s that you self proclaimed patriots are anything but.

        Breaking windows, assaulting the police, defecating on carpets and threatening to hang the Vice President aren’t the acts of patriots.

        That will be Trump’s rotten legacy, and prison awaits.

      • Mark

        November 11, 2022 at 2:06 pm

        DeSantis is no Rino. That I am certain of! Trump is just jealous of him. Maybe Trump got more votes in a Presidential election than DeSantis got on Tuesday, but he didn’t win the state by 20% like DeSantis did. In fact, it was rather close. This innuendo that he has dirt on DeSantis is dirty pool BS! Trumps ego and jealousy are getting the best of him and it’s not a good look. He should congratulate DeSantis and lift him up but no; it’s all about Trump not what is good for the party!

    • Brenda

      November 10, 2022 at 7:59 am

      Totally agree. Can’t keep his mouth shut. Pride in his way.

  • Leonard

    November 9, 2022 at 6:23 pm

    Many Rs grow weary of this childish behavior. Great policies…but Trump just can’t help himself from a personality perspective. Yes–he helped make DeSantis…Putnam was leading DeSantis in the polls by 15%…one Trump tweet made it a dead heat. One Trump appearance turned it into a 15% lead for DeSantis. Yes–in a Presidential election Trump got more votes. But he only won by 370,000 or so votes (about 3% more than Biden). DeSantis, in an off year election, got 4.6 million votes and won by 19%. He did that without Trump’s (which is shameful on Trump’s part). Even worse—Trump started bad mouthing DeSantis before yesterday’s election was over. Message to all of them—it’s not about THEM—it’s about our COUNTRY!

  • Based Desantis Supporter

    November 9, 2022 at 6:25 pm

    This boomer needs to step aside. He has become irrelevant. His endorsed candidates cost us the senate. Meanwhile desantis and the Florida GOP single handedly won us the house

  • Tim K

    November 9, 2022 at 7:03 pm

    On behalf of all intelligent conservatives I would like to say one thing: Donald Trump please go away. You’ve done enough damage to the party and to the country. You’re an 80 year old with the temper of a 7 year old and an ego the size of Texas. We’ve had enough!

  • Joe Corsin

    November 9, 2022 at 7:19 pm

    AH HAHAHA!!! Now look at the duped conservative victims of snake oil. Took these idiots 6 years to dump the grifter. By God you people aren’t competent enough to vote at all!!! This is all your doing! This is why there won’t ever be a Republican president again in your lifetimes!!!

    • Jerry Mc

      November 10, 2022 at 11:16 pm

      Trump beat Hillary. Be thankful. It wasn’t the best situation but sometimes we have to settle for the next best..

      • maxx

        November 11, 2022 at 8:42 am

        Trump lost by over three million votes to Clinton.

  • NCheel7763

    November 9, 2022 at 8:23 pm

    In my opinion DeSantis is a better version of Trump. DeSantis has shown he is more than comfortable making the hard decisions and he does not allow people to push him or Florida around. I think sending those illegals into the big blue cities is one of the best political moves I’ve ever seen. He called attention to a problem, and he demonstrated that Florida would not be pushed around. He also excels in managing policy that is in the best interest of his state. He got his state through Covid much better than most governors, and he knows how to handle a natural disaster. Unlike Trump, he actually behaves like a mature adult and he knows how to work with others without creating division and hate and mistrust. As far as I’m concerned Trump has done more harm than good and I for one would rejoice if he would just go away.

    • Joe Corsin

      November 9, 2022 at 10:41 pm

      He’s cooked if he runs in 2024. COOKED!!!!!!!!!

    • maxx

      November 11, 2022 at 8:41 am

      Ron DeathSentence (a.k.a. DeSantis) killed Floridians with his no-policy on Covid.
      Then, Ron DeathSentence used Covid funding to charter planes to fly people from Texa$$ wasting taxpayer money.

      IOW, a typical republican corrupt hack.

      • maxx

        November 11, 2022 at 8:43 am

        If you want to waste your money on republicans that is your choice. You bought a pig in a poke regarding Dump. It sounds to me as if you are bufying another pig in a poke regarding Ron DeathSentence.

      • Betsy

        November 15, 2022 at 12:33 pm

        I’m so glad Desantis kept Florida open & not shut down because of covid. Covid was a total hoax. The jab is a depopulation scheme.

  • David in Shoreline

    November 9, 2022 at 8:46 pm

    Trump can go to hell. Every time he badmouths America’s Governor, I’ll be making another contribution to DeSantis’ 2024 campaign.

    I was such a crazy devoted Trump supporter in 2016 and 2020. It’s amazing how quickly your opinion of someone can change.

    • Joe Corsin

      November 9, 2022 at 10:40 pm

      Quick??? It took you six years to figure out the guy was a nut??? Seek help for substance abuse for Christ sakes. You people aren’t competent enough to vote!!!

      • Kris Perkins

        November 10, 2022 at 5:52 pm

        Ok Joe Corsin – we get it!

    • Gayle

      November 10, 2022 at 10:07 pm

      I voted for Trump twice. But now it’s time to go away to make room for a candidate that can win back the White House.

  • Yrral

    November 9, 2022 at 9:28 pm

    Mar a Lago and the Governor’s mansion will be impacted by Nicole,God do not love no evil Republicans

    • Joe Corsin

      November 9, 2022 at 10:38 pm

      And Trump will rip off some insurance company. He’s done it before.

  • Anonymous Florida Government Employee

    November 9, 2022 at 9:59 pm

    Everybody in Tallahassee hates Ron DeSantis at a personal level.
    There’s a reason he’s feuded within the GOP with Trump & Rick Scott. Nobody likes the guy. He’s a complete prick, and it’ll be hilarious to see that exposed on the national level if he runs for POTUS.

    • Mark

      November 11, 2022 at 2:19 pm

      As you seem to be from Leon County, I am sure you are likely a Democrat, and you aren’t going to like the guy no matter what. Rick Scott was a total loser as Governor so I certainly wouldn’t use his opinion as a measuring stick to judge anyone! Don’t really care about what Leon County thinks, apparently 4.6 million Floridians like the guy!

    • LadyisaTramp

      November 12, 2022 at 1:22 pm

      Q: What’s DeSantis get when you give him viagra?
      A: Taller

  • Brian Brady

    November 9, 2022 at 10:59 pm

    President Trump is really being petty. I would like to remember him fondly but he is making it hard to do that. Governors DeSantis, Sununu, Noem, (dare I say) Lake , and Senators Scotts (Tim and Rick), and Lee represent the future Republican leadeship

    • kilgore trout

      November 17, 2022 at 4:15 am

      “President Trump is really being petty” – took you 7-years to come to that realization? How observant thou art!

  • DarrenM

    November 10, 2022 at 1:21 pm

    The fact that Trump doesn’t understand the differences between a Presidential election and a mid-terms election proves that he doesn’t know what he’s doing.

  • Leslie

    November 10, 2022 at 1:27 pm

    I was a supporter of Trump but I can no longer tolerate him. The man needs to shut up and go away. Unfortunately, he is too egotistical to do that. Perhaps he and Hillary can slink off together? One can hope.

  • Harold Finch

    November 10, 2022 at 3:11 pm

    DUMP TRUMP!!! DeSantis 2024!!!!

  • Gayle

    November 10, 2022 at 3:18 pm

    I voted for Trump twice as did all of my friends. I now believe that he is unelectable. Now it’s time to play golf not politics. His time has come and gone.

    • maxx

      November 11, 2022 at 8:46 am

      Republican leadership’s time has come and gone, they have shown by their actions that they are traitors. Any Republican leader who supported Dump and his lies about 06Jan is a traitor, simple as.

      • kilgore trout

        November 17, 2022 at 4:20 am

        Agree, the GOP is a mess – morphed from a political party into a religion – irrational.

  • Lorraine

    November 10, 2022 at 7:44 pm

    President Trump. Don’t talk against DeSantis. He is loved and admired by many as u are. Talking against him will only backfire against u even though u r so loved. Don’t do this, and keep quiet. Be smart. And praise him

Comments are closed.


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