WASHINGTON — Over the weekend, the political world waited for Ron DeSantis ‘s opinion on the possible indictment against Donald Trump. Then, we waited. And so we waited.
In the meantime, Trump’s world social media influencers and acolytes took DeSantis to task , calling his silence complicity or indifference in the pursuit of Trump, GOP’s top leader, by the New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Trump aides were behind the scenes and fanned flames. They targeted Florida governor in news releases, and cheered as Trump world influencers attacked him on Twitter.
DeSantis finally spoke Monday, at a Tallahassee news conference, Florida. He took shots at Bragg and at Trump.
DeSantis spoke out about the grand jury probe, and George Soros, a billionaire liberal donor. He repeated the accusation against Trump by adding “Hush money” to “pornstar”.
He said that he didn’t know what was going to happen but that he knew this: The Manhattan District Attorney is a Soros-funded attorney. Bragg accused of using his office to pursue Trump and ignoring other crimes. (Soros, via the Color of Change, PAC, supported Bragg’s election campaign.
DeSantis said that he didn’t know the cost of paying hush money for porn stars to silence them over alleged affairs. It’s just that I don’t know.
This was the moment when the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination race became a raging stalemate, signaling the beginning of the political arms race Trump had been trying to ignite ever since DeSantis emerged last year as his chief competitor.
Trump wrote to Truth Social to claim that it would be unfair to accuse DeSantis of grooming young girls and being gay. Trump’s post was not very imaginative. It featured a photo of a young man standing with a group, including one holding a bottle.
“Ron DeSanctimonious” will likely find out about FALSE ACUSATIONS and FAKE STORIES as he grows older, wiser, and more well-known. He’ll probably discover this information when he is unfairly and illegally attacked or abused by a woman or a classmate who’s ‘underage’. Trump wrote. “I’m certain he will want fight these misfits as much as I do!”
The image is taken from a 2021 blog post at The Hill Reporter. It purportedly shows DeSantis and several young women in his brief tenure as a high-school teacher over 20 years ago. The authenticity the photo has not been confirmed by NBC News.
Trump, who is leading in national polls, will be impacted by the open political warfare between DeSantis and Trump. DeSantis has distinguished himself from the rest of GOP field without announcing he would run. The two sides differ on how the race was disrupted.
Trump supporters believe that DeSantis’ early silence and his decision not to directly attack Trump over allegations of an affair between Stormy Daniels, the adult film star, shows that he isn’t ready for prime-time.
Steve Bannon, host of “Bannon’s War Room”, a podcast about Trump’s past and present top advisors, said that “he just doesn’t possess it right now.” He said that the comment about Daniels, whom Trump denied having slept with, was “a cheap shot taken from the cheap seats”.
Bannon stated that DeSantis’ news conference “was a disaster” and that 10% of Trump’s MAGA voters wouldn’t vote for DeSantis right now.
“Without 100% MAGA, it’s impossible to win — ask [Virginia Governor.] He added that Glenn Youngkin was also a candidate.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, a third-ranking House Republican, predicted DeSantis would experience “slippage” in poll numbers following the remarks.
Stefanik, a Trump supporter from the beginning, stated that Trump has already experienced slippage over the past few weeks. “And I believe you’re going see President Trump continue strengthening his position” in Republican contest.
DeSantis supporters saw the importance of the back-and forth in a different light.
“It’s already an two-horserace,” Dan Eberhart, a DeSantis donor and longtime supporter of the candidate in the primaries said. “The substance of these attacks aside, Trump’s decision to go after DeSantis and not anyone else betrays who he is most concerned about.”
Eberhart stated that other Republicans who waited on the sidelines might have “missed their chance” to become contenders for the nomination. However, DeSantis should not forget the lessons of 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney’s absorbing attacks by President Barack Obama this summer. DeSantis had largely avoided direct confrontation with Trump until Monday.
Eberhart stated that DeSantis should not ignore him for too long.
Some DeSantis supporters worry that Trump attacks could cause him to lose his strength before he declares that he’s running. This is something that he won’t do for at least a few more months.
Former Rep. Keith Rothfus (Republican from Pennsylvania), who encouraged DeSantis’s run for the presidency, said that Trump’s legal ramifications not only in New York, but also in Georgia, and other ongoing investigations, are “still a huge unknown.”
He said, “You can criticize the political prosecutions and how they undermine the rule of law. How we put forth the double-standard of justice… but still look for a leadership that can do the things needed to drain the swamp and get this government back on side of the American people.” It’s not an “either/or” situation.
He said, “We must move forward and look into the future.”
Calls for comment from Trump and DeSantis were not returned Monday by spokespersons.
Trump first called DeSantis “Ron DeSanctimonious”, days before the midterm elections. He has continued to attack him in recent months, trying to start a war. Trump called notice last month to the photo that showed DeSantis with young girls. The main pro-Trump superPAC filed a complaint to the Florida Commission on Ethics claiming that DeSantis broke the law through his “shadow presidential campaign.”
DeSantis’ response has been muted in both instances. After Trump shared the image, DeSantis stated to reporters that he doesn’t spend much time trying to disparage other Republicans. Taryn Fenske (his communications director) described the incident as “frivolous” and politically motivated.
Since Trump announced that he would be indicted on Tuesday, many elected Republican leaders rallied behind him. Former Vice President Mike Pence has clashed over Trump’s Jan. 6 insurrection, and is now looking to run for president. joined the set over the weekend.
A brawl between these twin titans could lead to an alternative route — or at least that’s what the rest are counting on.
However, if a fight gets so ugly so quickly, it could lead to others getting in the mud.
An adviser to another potential candidate stated that “No one is going to vote for 11 months.” “If they are going to ramp up the rhetoric to this point now, GOP voters will not like where it ends up in February 2024.”
