A.G. Gancarski
Former President Donald Trump spilled some more tea Monday as he continues to gear up for a possible Primary battle with Ron DeSantis, should the Florida Governor run for President as some expect next year.
Trump told the Real America’s Voice News “Water Cooler” program he would “handle” DeSantis if he ran against him, contending that if he hadn’t endorsed DeSantis in 2018, DeSantis would have withdrawn from the race against Adam Putnam.
“Ron called me and he wanted support. He was at 3%. As you probably know, the Agricultural Commissioner, his name was Adam Putnam. Adam Putnam was close to 40%. Adam Putnam had $25 million, Ron had nothing. And Ron was going to drop out of the race. He asked me if I’d endorse him. And I did endorse him,” Trump said.
“Ron, instead of dropping out of the race, he went to the head of the race,” Trump added. “But I think he went up to 71 … from 3 to 71. In one night.”
Trump went on to claim he got DeSantis over Democrat Andrew Gillum, whom Trump called a “crackhead.”
“Gillum was going to beat Ron,” Trump said, noting he had three “packed” rallies for DeSantis.
“I got him elected, pure and simple. And there was no reason to go wild about endorsing him,” Trump told interviewer David Brody. “So, now I hear he might want to run against me. So, we’ll handle that the way I handle things.”
Florida Politics has reached out to the Executive Office of the Governor for its version of events.
Trump’s comments continue a theme established last November, as the former President panned the Governor as “Ron DeSanctimonious” and an “average Republican Governor” propped up by Fox News and related properties.
“NewsCorp, which is Fox, the Wall Street Journal, and the no longer great New York Post (bring back Col!), is all in for Governor Ron DeSanctimonious, an average REPUBLICAN Governor with great Public Relations,” Trump said.
Trump told a version of the Putnam story then too, calling DeSantis “in desperate shape” and “politically dead, losing in a landslide.”
That continued a series of Trumpian blasts at the Governor, such as on Truth Social.
“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 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. “I did two rallies, we had 52,000 people (at) 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.
11 comments
Harold Finch
January 16, 2023 at 9:24 pm
That was then, this is now. Trump is delusional! It’s time for the next generation and DeSantis is the one!
LC
January 16, 2023 at 9:53 pm
Harold it sounds like the radical left was successful influencing you making the comment about President Trump being delusional.
Len
January 16, 2023 at 9:55 pm
Harold it sounds like the radical left was successful influencing you making the comment about President Trump being delusional.
Frankie M.
January 16, 2023 at 11:29 pm
Kudos to Trump for creating this monster. Interesting to see faux news mouthbreathers turn against Trump.
Dems are ALL groomers
January 23, 2023 at 3:23 pm
Bwahahaha. DeSantis won the second race by what, 20%??? We Floridians LOVE DeSantis. You perverted groomers hate him, but thank God you are still in the minority.
Tjb
January 25, 2023 at 5:08 pm
Yea, but DeSantis would have lost to Gillum without Trump’s endorsement… DeSantis only won by .04 % over a crap candidate, Gillum.
Leonard
January 17, 2023 at 7:59 am
Trump is partially correct. Putnam was well ahead of DeSantis is money, name ID, and endorsements. Putnam was up 15% in the polls when Trump tweeted his support for DeSantis. Overnight Putnam and DeSantis were tied in the polls. Then Trump did a rally for DeSantis and suddenly DeSantis was up 15%. So it is true that Trump’s support was crucial to the success of DeSantis. BUT—Trump did not govern for DeSantis—-he did that all on his own. DeSantis has demonstrated that he can successfully govern applying conservative principles without all of the drama and self-aggrandizing that you get with Trump.
Brian Brady
January 17, 2023 at 10:07 am
“Trump went on to claim he got DeSantis over Democrat Andrew Gillum, whom Trump called a “crackhead.”
I am giggling because I can hear Trump saying that
Jimmy Conner
January 17, 2023 at 11:42 am
It’s inarguable that President Trump’s support was the determining factor in DeSantis winning the Governor’s race. What perplexes and really disappoints me is why President Trump feels the need to attack DeSantis unprovoked. It’s not a good strategy for President Trump IMO.
Mac Wiseman
January 20, 2023 at 11:47 am
Leftists and RINOs will all soil their crybaby diapers for eight straight years under the Trump/Desantis White House. Eight Straight years of leftists screaming at the sky!!!
Dems are ALL groomers
January 23, 2023 at 3:21 pm
Maybe so President Trump. But Tom Brady never would have been the starting QB if Drew Bledsoe had not been injured. Take a seat, await your induction into the Republican Hall of Fame.
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