Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump have been in a feud since the 2020 election. This intraparty feud has become one of the top stories within the Republican Party, as it could impact the party’s future. DeSantis, who won reelection in 2020, has openly opposed many of Trump’s preferred candidates for key races in Florida, including those who lost and those running for governor. As a result, Trump has publicly announced his support for other candidates running against DeSantis’ preferred choice during primaries. This battle between two of the most prominent Republicans is sure to have an effect on both parties as they look ahead to future elections and attempt to unify their members.
Governor Ron DeSantis deserves the ire of President Trump for his campaign success, as he was able to galvanize his ardent supporters and win first place in Florida’s Governor’s race. His victory was a high point for Republicans, and he celebrated his win with glee from inside the Governor’s Mansion. While it is unclear exactly what President Trump’s intentions are when criticizing DeSantis, this feud between the two will not be ending anytime soon. This could prove detrimental to the Republican party as they attempt to unify their members and move into future elections.
The feud between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and President Trump is indicative of a much larger issue within the Republican party. Trump has taken credit for DeSantis’ election success, and many of the cabinet members that have been appointed by Trump are average Republican governors. This has caused tension within the party, as Ron DeSantis is not just any average Republican governor. He has made great public relations moves for his state as well as himself and was able to win an election in one of the most heavily contested states in the country. President Mike Pence also issued a lengthy statement in support of DeSantis, expressing his admiration for the way he had managed to win over Florida voters despite being an underdog candidate. This seems to suggest that Pence believes there’s more to be admired about him than simply being an average Republican governor. This could mean a change in how Republicans view their candidates going forward, as they may be looking beyond just name recognition or political pedigree when selecting future candidates.
President Donald Trump has been rallying voters and his allies to support Ron DeSantis in his bid for the White House. At a rally Sunday in Sarasota, Florida, Trump praised DeSantis as the “most popular governor” and urged supporters to back him in the potential Republican primary. He even went as far as to say that something “very special” will happen if DeSantis is elected president. Trump’s support of DeSantis has been consistent throughout the past few months since he announced his house bid. The former President also held a rally for him in Jacksonville earlier this year and most recently attended another rally at Orlando International Airport last week with other Republicans from Florida including Governor Rick Scott, Senator Marco Rubio, and Rep. Matt Gaetz who all backed DeSantis’s White House campaign.
The feud between DeSantis and Trump began when the former president endorsed the governor in his race for Florida governor back in 2018. Since then, tensions have been high between the two Republicans, with DeSantis often criticizing the former president’s policies. In a recent campaign video, DeSantis took aim at President Donald Trump’s administration for its handling of COVID-19 and was quick to point out that Florida has fared better than other states under his leadership. This criticism did not sit well with Trump, who retaliated by endorsing Charlie Crist in Florida’s governors race. This led to a raucous debate between Desantis and Crist during which both candidates attempted to outdo each other on their support for President Donald Trump’s policies. Despite this tension between Desantis and Trump, most top Republicans from Florida are standing firmly behind Governor Ron DeSantis and are hoping that he will be able to bridge the gap between himself and President Donald Trump before the next election season begins. For now though, it looks as though tensions remain high between these two top Republicans from Florida, while they continue to keep an eye on each other as they attempt to woo voters ahead of November’s election season.
Recent polls have shown that Ron Desantis is well ahead of Democrat Charlie Crist in the gubernatorial race, and election prognosticators are giving him much chance at winning the actual races. However, Marco Rubio and former Governor Charlie Crist have both recently come out publicly against Desantis in an attempt to sway public opinion. This has put a strain on the relationship between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, as it appears that they are not exactly on the same page when it comes to Election Day.
Former President Trump had endorsed DeSantis in 2018 but has remained silent on the Republican nomination for Florida’s governor this year. This has been seen as a snub to the former congressman and current governor of Florida. Tensions have risen between the two in recent months with DeSantis openly criticizing Trump’s policies and decisions. He even went as far as to distance himself from Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election results, which has led some to speculate that DeSantis may be afraid of alienating Florida’s Hispanic voters should he remain too closely tied to former President Trump. Despite these tensions, DeSantis is still barrels toward reelection and it remains unclear if former President Donald Trump will offer his endorsement before November 2022 election day.
As a Florida Republican who has received strong praise from Trump, DeSantis is in a difficult spot. According to Robert Costa of the Washington Post, “Trump’s remarks have caused private anger among some of DeSantis’ advisers and allies, who worry his soaring popularity with Republicans in the state could be threatened before his likely presidential bid in 2024.” DeSantis urged other Florida Republicans to follow suit when Trump was critical of the nation’s COVID-19 response and even after Trump left office he continued to distance himself from it. Despite this tension, recent polls have demonstrated that DeSantis’ approval ratings among Republicans are actually soaring due to his handling of COVID-19.
