Staff Reports
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently shared his thoughts on the 2024 campaign, expressing his regret about former President Donald Trump’s legal troubles. DeSantis criticized the four indictments against Trump, calling them unfair and claiming that they have “distorted” the GOP primary process. He lamented that these legal troubles could spell doom for Trump in the general election.
DeSantis emphasized that he wishes Trump had not been indicted on any of the charges. According to DeSantis, these indictments have had a significant impact on the GOP primary, turbocharging Trump’s support among Republican voters and hindering his rivals from gaining traction in the race. He also argued that the legal issues have “crowded out so much other stuff” and “sucked out a lot of oxygen” from the campaign.
Ron DeSantis calls Trump indictments biggest regret of the campaign https://t.co/LEZ4cGcnc4 pic.twitter.com/7KoKSkYcML
— New York Post (@nypost) December 21, 2023
The Florida governor pointed to the first indictment secured by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, which charged Trump with falsifying business records to conceal hush-money payments to former adult film star Stormy Daniels and ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal. DeSantis noted that during that time, polls showed him within reach of Trump in the race for the Republican nomination. However, Trump’s lead has since surged, creating a significant gap in current polling averages.
DeSantis also suggested that the Democrats and the media have a plan to navigate Trump’s legal challenges if he becomes the presumptive nominee in the future. He criticized the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to remove Trump from the primary ballot and raised concerns about the focus on legal issues in the general election.
Despite campaigning aggressively in Iowa and securing key endorsements, DeSantis still trails behind Trump in the polling averages. However, he remains optimistic and believes that Trump may have a strong base of supporters, but there are others who are open to voting for someone else.
Throughout the campaign, DeSantis has aimed to convey a message that Trump failed to deliver on his promises and may struggle in a general election. Meanwhile, Trump has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In response to DeSantis’s comments, a spokesman for Trump criticized the Florida governor, suggesting that he has his own regrets and challenges in the campaign. The spokesman mentioned various aspects of DeSantis’s campaign, including hiring decisions and campaign announcements, and took a jab at the governor’s performance on the campaign trail.
Overall, the discussion surrounding Trump’s legal troubles and their impact on the 2024 campaign reflects DeSantis’s concerns and his efforts to differentiate himself from the former president in the Republican primary.
