Former President Comments on DeSantis’s Ambition to Emulate Paul Ryan
Donald Trump has escalated his ongoing feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis by posting a video in which DeSantis expresses a desire to be like former House Speaker Paul Ryan, now a critic of Trump. The former president shared the footage on his Truth Social platform, captioning it simply with “wow!”
In the clip, DeSantis states, “I would be somebody who would be different. I think you see that I’ve been recognised nationally as being somebody who would be a leader, who could be somebody like a Paul Ryan very quickly.”
In response to Trump’s criticisms regarding his pandemic management, DeSantis highlighted his successful reelection, contrasting it with Trump’s electoral losses. During a press briefing in Bradenton, south of Tampa, he remarked, “I roll out of bed and have people attacking me from all angles. The good thing is that the people can render a judgment on that. I’m happy to say that we won reelection with the highest percentage of the vote that any Republican governor candidate has had in Florida’s history.”
While campaigning in New Hampshire and South Carolina over the weekend, Trump asserted that he was instrumental in getting DeSantis elected in 2018. He expressed feelings of disloyalty regarding DeSantis’s potential presidential run, saying, “It’s not about loyalty for a lot of people, but for me, it is.”
Ryan, who served as Speaker of the House from 2015 to 2019, recently remarked that Trump is “fading fast” and labelled him a “proven loser,” citing his impact on Republican losses in past elections. “I think we are moving past Trump,” Ryan stated, indicating doubts about Trump securing the nomination.
In light of Trump’s remarks, several GOP senators have come to DeSantis’s defence regarding his potential 2024 campaign. Texas Senator John Cornyn described DeSantis’s recent campaign as “impressive” and noted that he’s polling well. Cornyn added, “I think we need some new blood, and I think he’d probably qualify,” while seemingly amused by the notion that DeSantis’s run would be disloyal.
