Ron DeSantis rebuts ‘bizarre’ and ‘ridiculous’ Nikki Haley, Donald Trump attacks
Image via AP

Desantis Iowa AP
'I call them as I see them and if you've supported me, but you're wrong, I'm going to do what's right.'

Ron DeSantis is rebuking two 2024 presidential primary opponents for attacks he says are “bizarre,” “ridiculous,” and an attempt to sell a “bill of goods.”

On Monday’s Brian Kilmeade radio show, the Florida Governor offered counterargument to cutting criticisms from Nikki Haley and Donald Trump in recent days.

Former United Nations envoy Haley lit up DeSantis on a CNN Town Hall Sunday for his failure to work constructively with the Walt Disney Company. She accused DeSantis of “hypocrisy” given previous campaign donations from Disney and urged the Florida Governor to “pick up the phone, deal with it, settle it the way you should.”

DeSantis dissented, calling Haley’s attacks “bizarre” and framing them as unfounded in reality.

“I mean, somebody does a campaign contribution and you’re supposed to lay down for them. That’s not how I operate. People can support me or not support me. I call them as I see them and if you’ve supported me, but you’re wrong, I’m going to do what’s right,” DeSantis told Kilmeade.

Haley accused DeSantis of “vendetta stuff,” but DeSantis thinks his fight against Disney is a test of principle that his opponents are failing.

“The days of Republicans just deferring to large corporations, I think, need to be over. Not all these other Republicans are willing to do that,” DeSantis said Monday.

The Governor also clapped back against Trump, who continues to levy criticisms DeSantis hasn’t done a good job as Governor, and was worse than Andrew Cuomo of New York, a Democrat, in handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

“So here’s the issue. He has said how great we’ve done in Florida for years. He said ‘we were one of the great governors, Florida is one of the great states. Florida stayed open. They did it right during COVID,’ all this,” DeSantis contended.

“Now, he’s changed his tune and he’s saying Andrew Cuomo did better with his lockdowns in New York than we did,” DeSantis added. “I can count the number of Republicans on my hand who would have rather lived under Cuomo’s lockdowns than would have rather lived under freedom. So he’s just trying to sell people a bill of goods.”

DeSantis also dismissed Trump’s claims that running against him is “disloyal.”

“And I don’t think anybody actually believes that. Here’s what I think: I owe loyalty to the people that elected me,” DeSantis said.

“They don’t need to be loyal to elected officials. It’s our job to be loyal to them, to their aspirations and to the larger cause, you know, be loyal to your faith and your family and your country, other politicians, you work with them to be able to advance a larger mission, but people need to earn it.”

DeSantis also rejected contentions he should run in a future election and stand down for Trump.

“You know, some people tell me like, ‘Oh, well, you know, you should just wait ’til ’28. Well, that would make sense if you’re running to be somebody, but I’m not running to be somebody. I’m running to do something. And I think 2024 is the country’s hour of need.”

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


13 comments

  • Joe The Plumber

    June 5, 2023 at 11:41 am

    I am the Joe The Plumber that got Trump elected in 2016. I am backing Desantis and encourage everyone to do the same.
    Joe

  • PeterH

    June 5, 2023 at 11:50 am

    This guy thinks he’s god’s gift to America…… except American’s know a whiner stage show when they see it! The 2024 Republican Klown Kar isn’t even full yet and this wingnut is already playing the victim!

    Republicans are America’s biggest problem!

    Vote all Republicans out of office!

    • Joe The Plumber

      June 5, 2023 at 1:20 pm

      Thanks for the compliment PeterH but I really dont consider myself as an actual gift. And sorry PeterH I’m straight and my wife (real female) wont let me have sexual relations with men.
      Joe

      • Joe

        June 5, 2023 at 1:49 pm

        Ok groomer

    • GOP Clown Car

      June 5, 2023 at 4:37 pm

      RONALD desantis
      mitch MC connell
      trump, DONALD j

  • Terri

    June 5, 2023 at 1:09 pm

    He’s a useless politician. He is not loyal to the people that live in Florida. He’s a sell out . Try polling Florida how they feel about the recent laws that he has pushed through.

  • Joe

    June 5, 2023 at 1:49 pm

    This lil guy is still too scared to go on actual TV to defend/promote himself: Haley goes on CNN, DePantsless talks to a Fox radio guy inside his bubble. He will get eaten alive in a live debate setting.

    • Dont Say M1dg3t

      June 6, 2023 at 10:56 am

      Rhonda goes audio-only because he doesn’t want the public to see that he is a man of average lady height. There’s nothing wrong with being short, imo, not even for men. But Rhonda’s actions speak volumes. He clearly thinks something’s very wrong with being short.

  • Bizarre and Ridiculous

    June 5, 2023 at 5:14 pm

    Bizarre and Ridiculous things that come to mind:

    Thinking you can be the Trump in Trumpism when you’re Rhonda

    Thinking you’re qualified to be President when you have zero real political experience. Preaching to the choir, that doesn’t count. There’s opposition in D.C. They have real power. Not like Florida.

    Not realizing Casey is playing you, trying jump all the rungs up the ladder to become Mrs Musk. Mrs Musk has a nice ring to it. Casey wants a ring on her finger that costs more than Rhonda’s entire net worth, and she will steamroll Rhonda to get that ring.

  • Lex

    June 6, 2023 at 8:29 am

    Nikki, this is a Republican primary. 90%+ of Republicans want Disney to go back to being the middle of the road, nonpartisan, corporation we could entrust our kids entertain too. That is not the current Disney. Nikki, if you cannot see the Culture War being fought, then please remove yourself from the race because you do not understand politics today. Politics have changed. Corporations cannot be left to do what they will anymore. Politicians need to take stands in the entertainment space and the failure to have a prescience in the culture has led to the erosion of the country.

    • Gullible's Travels

      June 6, 2023 at 8:50 am

      Lex did you ever go on that Disney ride with the horrifying song, It’s A Small World After All? It’s been at Disney since inception.

      If that ride opened today, you’d be [told to be] horrified that it was for grooming children. You’re just gullible. That’s all that’s going on with Disney. You are gullible.

      What actually happened is the GOP realized it requires black votes, so the GOP found a new, much smaller set of bad people to finger point at: Trans drag queens.

      Black folk used to be the source of all evil according to the GOP, but GOP can’t win election anymore due to that, so they’re trying to pivot to saying trans drag queens are the big bad and because of trans drag queens, not the blacks anymore, you better hide your wife, hide your children, blah blah blah. Gullible.

      Ron DeSantis campaign tour bus should be named Gullible’s Travels.

    • Earl Pitts American

      June 6, 2023 at 7:09 pm

      Good knowing stuff Lex,
      Disney is dead to the good citizens of The Great State of Florida. Disney needs to clean up their area and pack whatever the eff they want to take with them.
      I, Earl Pitts American, have already prepared Disney’s 30 day eviction notice and put it on THE RONALD’s desk with just the date fields left blank.
      This way whenever Disney finally gets on THE RONALD’s last nerve all THE RONALD need do is fill in the dates, hand the eviction notice to me, Earl Pitts American, and I, Earl Pitts American, will take the short drive over on I-4 and put one of my size 11 cowboy boots up Disney’s but+ for the final time. And then hand Disney the eviction notice.
      I, Earl Pitts American, fully intend to put my size 11 cowboy boot so far up Disney’s but+ it will take a dozen doctors to cut it out. And I, Earl Pitts American will demand the doctors give me, Earl Pitts American, my size 11 cowboy boot back so I, Earl Pitts American, can take my boot to a taxidermist to clean up the but+ juice and mount my cowboy boot like a deer head to hang in my, Earl Pitts American’s, fabulously appointed office.
      Yeah America, thats pretty much how its going down.
      Other than that; everybody have a restfull nights sleep here in the greatest state in America, The Great State of Florida, knowing THE RONALD and I, Earl Pitts American, have the future of you and your precious children fully protected from the evil Disney Groomers.
      Thank you America,
      Earl Pitts “Disney But+ Kicker In Chief” American

      • Ghost Of Joshua

        June 6, 2023 at 7:56 pm

        Earl I’ve been watching from afar and am taking a moment to honor you for being a great man on Earth.
        Earl as you are making your glorious drive on I-4 to bring the walls of Disney tumbleing down as I did so many lifetimes ago with Jerico, look real quick to your right Earl, and you will see I have sat The Great “Duke” John Wayne right there in the passinger seat riding shotgun with you.
        Earl put a little goat fat on your size 11 cowboy boot for the deepest penitration.
        Gods speed Earl,
        Joshua He Who Fought The Battle of Jerico

Comments are closed.


#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Anne Geggis, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Gray Rohrer, Jesse Scheckner, Christine Sexton, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704




Sign up for Sunburn


Categories