Ron DeSantis thinks he can pull RFK voters in General Election
Ron DeSantis vows no more COVID-19 shutdowns or other measures. Image via Colin Hackley.

FLAPOL110420CH01
Donald Trump would 'bleed support' to the iconoclastic independent, DeSantis said.

Ron DeSantis continues to press his case against Donald Trump, arguing he would be better positioned than the former President in staving off a third-party challenge from Robert Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent.

“This RFK third party I don’t think would be a factor if I’m the nominee. But I think it would be a factor with Trump because I think some of the issues RFK raises like Dr. Anthony Fauci, the COVID lockdowns, all that, I’m very strong on that and I did something about it,” DeSantis said on WGIR’s New Hampshire Today with Chris Ryan.

DeSantis suggested that Trump would “bleed support” due to his approach to coronavirus mitigation.

“Trump is very weak on that. He says he did everything right. He’s the one that empowered Fauci to begin with. He said the mRNA shot saved 100 million lives, which is just preposterous that he would say that. So that would be something where he would bleed support potentially there as well.”

The Governor has discussed Kennedy at various points during this campaign cycle, seemingly embracing him at times.

During an interview in July with Outkick, DeSantis said he’d “sic him on the FDA, if he’d be willing to serve, or sic him on CDC” if elected President.

DeSantis said those comments were misinterpreted as endorsing Kennedy to lead those agencies. The Governor made a clean-up attempt days later, telling Megyn Kelly that he really meant that he wanted to put Kennedy on a “bipartisan task force” to “hold them accountable.”

Kennedy, whose vaccine skepticism predates DeSantis’ pandemic-driven interest, claimed this summer that COVID-19 may have been “ethnically targeted” to spare Jewish and Chinese people. He has since backpedaled, saying he should have been “more careful” with his words.

DeSantis hasn’t addressed those claims, but told Jesse Watters this summer that he aligned with Kennedy in opposition to “censorship” around the coronavirus.

The Governor already ruled out picking Kennedy as a potential running mate, meanwhile, saying that the anti-vaccine candidate was a “liberal Democrat” on most issues.

Ironically, Kennedy is seen as a better bet to win the White House than DeSantis. According to Election Betting Odds, Kennedy has a 4.3% chance of winning, half a point more than the Florida Governor.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has been the Northeast Florida correspondent for Florida Politics since 2014. He writes for the New York Post and National Review also, with previous work in the American Conservative and Washington Times and a 15+ year run as a columnist in Folio Weekly. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


14 comments

  • Earl Pitts "The Earl Of Politics" American

    October 16, 2023 at 1:38 pm

    Good afternoon America,
    Of course Desantis will get most of Kennedy’s voters!
    Kennedy is not a serious candidate. Hes just one of President JFK’s kids other than that he aint $hit. What was Kennedy doing 3 years ago? Nobody knows. 5 years ago…again nobody knows. All he’s got is Hey Look At Me I’m Pres. Kennedy’s kid…thats all hes got and its not enough America. Because Earl says so.
    Earl Pitts “Because Earl Says So” American

      • Julia

        October 16, 2023 at 2:14 pm

        Sᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴡᴏʀᴋɪɴɢ ғʀᴏᴍ ʜᴏᴍᴇ! Gʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴊᴏʙ ғᴏʀ sᴛᴜᴅᴇɴᴛs, sᴛᴀʏ-ᴀᴛ-ʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴍᴏᴍs ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅɪɴɢ ᴀɴ ᴇxᴛʀᴀ ɪɴᴄᴏᴍᴇ. Yᴏᴜ ᴏɴʟʏ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴜᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ʀᴇʟɪᴀʙʟᴇ ɪɴᴛᴇʀɴᴇᴛ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ. Mᴀᴋᴇ $180 ʜᴏᴜʀʟʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴛᴏ $13,000 ᴀ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜ ʙʏ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ʟɪɴᴋ ᴀᴛ bd40 ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴛᴛᴏᴍ ᴀɴᴅ sɪɢɴɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ. Yᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ғɪʀsᴛ ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜɪs ᴡᴇᴇᴋ.
        .
        .
        Detail Here———————————————–>>> importantskill24.blogspot.com

  • James Wilson

    October 16, 2023 at 1:40 pm

    90,000 Floridians were killed by Covid. DeSantis did a great job. Of course, a million Americans were killed by Donald Trump. Tough call, who did better.

  • Unwoke and Going Broke In Florida

    October 16, 2023 at 1:50 pm

    Hollywood is ready for the cinematic imagination of Dreamin’ DeDumdum and his far-fetched ideas of glory. 🎥🎬🍿

  • My Take

    October 16, 2023 at 1:53 pm

    Does DeSScamus have a prayer unless Trump falls legally or medically and releases MAGA?
    If somehow Trump oytherwise failed to win the nomination he would order MAGA away from the winner.

  • Pastor Pasta

    October 16, 2023 at 2:31 pm

    Anti-vax whack job and un-serious candidate thinks he can pull voters from anti-vax whack job and un-serious candidate.

    • MH/Duuuval

      October 16, 2023 at 2:45 pm

      Ron D is a serious candidate and any day now he will start mixing it up with Donald T — and big winds will follow.

      • Tom

        October 16, 2023 at 4:17 pm

        Listening to either of them talk and I can see the big winds you’re referring to – a pair of windbags neither of whom make any sense

  • zodruma

    October 16, 2023 at 3:03 pm

    Mᴀᴋᴇ $180 ʜᴏᴜʀʟʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴛᴏ $13,000 ᴀ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜ ʙʏ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ʟɪɴᴋ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴛᴛᴏᴍ ᴀɴᴅ sɪɢɴɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ. Yᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ae02 ʏᴏᴜʀ ғɪʀsᴛ ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜɪs ᴡᴇᴇᴋ.
    Sᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴡᴏʀᴋɪɴɢ ғʀᴏᴍ ʜᴏᴍᴇ! Gʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴊᴏʙ ғᴏʀ sᴛᴜᴅᴇɴᴛs, sᴛᴀʏ-ᴀᴛ-ʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴍᴏᴍs ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅɪɴɢ ᴀɴ ᴇxᴛʀᴀ ɪɴᴄᴏᴍᴇ. Yᴏᴜ ᴏɴʟʏ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴜᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ʀᴇʟɪᴀʙʟᴇ ɪɴᴛᴇʀɴᴇᴛ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ.
    Detail Here———————>>>

    workstime0989.blogspot.com

  • Nebraska Granny

    October 16, 2023 at 11:49 pm

    You’re all a bunch of windbags. Can’t even tell what you believe in. As they say, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” 🤠

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, William March, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Jesse Scheckner, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

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