DeSantis faced more defections in his home state and a crowd that was excited about his 2024 rival.
Republican Party supporters shop at the Patriotic Merchandise booth during the Florida Freedom Summit in Kissimmee, Fla., on Nov. 4. KISSIMMEE, Fla. — In the state where Gov. Ron DeSantis ranks the most powerful GOP official, he faced a homecoming at a Republican Party gathering on Saturday that was upstaged by an effusive reception for 2024 presidential rival Donald Trump.
“This happens in these things,” he said. “Politicians do what they’re going to do. Taking a step back and looking across the country, we’ve gotten more endorsements from state legislators than any other candidate by far.” DeSantis avoided bringing up the former president in his speech by name, although he suggested the party could no longer accept losing. “You can sit there and talk about big game, you can have rhetoric, you can do this, you can make promises, but if you’re not ultimately winning elections, and ultimately not winning the big policy fights, it’s not going to matter,” DeSantis said to applause. The reaction was more enthusiastic than any other candidate who had spoken to that point.
The defections make political sense, given Trump’s wide lead in the GOP race, even as a large share of Trump voters rank DeSantis as their second choice, said Brad Coker, president of Mason-Dixon Opinion Research, a Florida-based polling firm. But endorsements will not change the minds of most voters, he added.All of the major Republican presidential candidates are expected to speak at the event, except former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and they will file to run in the Florida primary.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The Trump-DeSantis rivalry grows more personal and crude as the GOP candidates head to FloridaDonald Trump wants not only to beat Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the Republican nomination, but to embarrass him in their shared home state
Read more »
The Trump-DeSantis rivalry grows more personal and crude as the GOP candidates head to FloridaDonald Trump wants not only to beat Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the Republican nomination, but to embarrass him in their shared home state. Trump recently earned the endorsement of Sen. Rick Scott of Florida and a state lawmaker who has been a longtime ally of DeSantis. More endorsements are expected in the coming days.
Read more »
The Trump-DeSantis rivalry grows more personal and crude as the GOP candidates head to FloridaDonald Trump wants not only to beat Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the Republican nomination, but to embarrass him in their shared home state.
Read more »
The Trump-DeSantis rivalry grows more personal and crude as the GOP candidates head to FloridaDonald Trump wants not only to beat Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the Republican nomination, but to embarrass him in their shared home state.
Read more »
The Trump-DeSantis rivalry grows more personal and crude as the GOP candidates head to FloridaDonald Trump wants not only to beat Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the Republican nomination, but to embarrass him in their shared home state
Read more »
The Trump-DeSantis rivalry grows more personal and crude as the GOP candidates head to FloridaDonald Trump wants not only to beat Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the Republican nomination, but to embarrass him in their shared home state
Read more »