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SHOTS FIRED: Trump makes first move against DeSantis in battle for 2024

SHOTS FIRED: Trump makes first move against DeSantis in battle for 2024

SHOTS FIRED: Trump makes first move against DeSantis in battle for 2024

Donald Trump has made his first attack on a potential opponent for the 2024 Republican nomination for President. After Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was unable to answer a debate question about his political aspirations, the former president seems to see him as an enemy target.

Trump has a reputation for handling political opponents roughly, slamming them with derogatory nicknames, attacking their physical appearance, or in the case of Ted Cruz, even hitting an opponent’s partner or family member with insults.

DeSantis has denied that he’s planning to run for President in 2024, but at the Florida Gubernatorial debate, challenged by his opponent, Democrat Charlie Crist, to look at the audience and tell them he’d stay in the office for a full four-year term, the best he could do was a deer-in-the-headlights stare and gulp.

Trump may have taken that as affirmation that the Florida Governor plans to resign his office in time to seek a higher one, and he’s getting out ahead of such a bid by letting his fans know that he doesn’t approve. To that end, he posted on his Truth Social Wednesday night, lashing out at DeSantis.

Rather than put his opposition into his own words, Trump posted a short clip of Megyn Kelly voicing an opinion, and simply added his agreement.

The clip is from Kelly’s appearance on the Rubin Report, where she tells Dave Rubin that DeSantis doesn’t have a chance:

I just don’t think anybody else could win if Trump runs . . . I think Trump sucks up all the energy in every room, no matter what, and even someone as skilled as a politician, and smart policy-wise as DeSantis can’t overcome that.

You can watch her full appearance at the end of this story.

Trump also raised GOP eyebrows when he announced a Miami rally featuring Senator Marco Rubio with DeSantis conspicuously absent. 

Of course, DeSantis could be waiting to see whether Trump runs before making his decision — after all, a lot can happen in two years, and Trump is facing quite a few legal issues.

Still, even the notion that a potential opponent is watching and waiting could be highly offensive to the easily aggrieved ex-president, and he definitely doesn’t seem disposed to supporting a successor at this point.

Stephanie Bazzle
Steph Bazzle is a news writer who covers politics and theocracy, always aiming for a world free from extremism and authoritarianism. Follow Steph on Twitter @imjustasteph. Sign up for all of her stories to be delivered to your inbox here:

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