DeSantis Camp Fires Back at MAGA Outrage Over ‘Listless Vessels’ Diss: ‘Dishonest Media Refuses to Report the Facts’
Governor Ron DeSantis‘ (R-FL) team is firing back after facing some heavy criticism from MAGA-world over a recent comment.
On Saturday, supporters of former President Donald Trump — as well as the Trump campaign — reacted with fury over a statement from the Florida governor which they believe was a diss intended for them. Here is the full comment from the governor’s interview with Republican activist and writer Will Witt, as distributed by the DeSantis campaign on Sunday morning:
“So there will be people who are huge Trump supporters, like in Congress, who have incredibly liberal left-wing records that is really just atrocious, and yet they’re viewed by some of these folks as like, really, really good. Then you have other people, you know, like a Congressman Chip Roy, who has endorsed me, Congressman Thomas Massie. These guys have records of principle fighting the swamp that are second to none. And yet, they will be attacked by some of these people and called RINOs. So it’s just been totally detached from any type of substance. And ultimately, a movement can’t be about the personality of one individual. The movement has got to be about what are you trying to achieve on behalf of the American people? And that’s got to be based in principle. Because if you’re not rooted in principle, if all we are is listless vessels that are just supposed to follow whatever happens to come down the pike on Truth Social every morning, that’s not going to be a durable movement.”
Some prominent Trump supporters — as well as the campaign itself — ripped the governor for the “listless vessels” comment, in the belief that it was directed at the former president’s fans.
““To Hillary Clinton, Trump supporters are ‘deplorables.’ To Ron DeSantis, they are ‘listless vessels,’” said Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for MAGA Inc. in a statement. Leavitt added that the comment represents DeSantis showing his “true colors.”
In a statement Sunday morning, DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin implied the governor was taken out of context, and that his comment was directed specifically at Trump and “some congressional endorsers.”
“The dishonest media refuses to report the facts — Donald Trump and some congressional endorsers are ‘listless vessels,’” Griffin said. “Why? Because Trump and DC insiders feel he is entitled to your vote. Ron DeSantis believes your trust should be earned and has the vision, plan, and record to beat Joe Biden and reverse the decline of our country.”
The DeSantis flack proceeded to take a shot at Trump for bailing on Wednesday night’s Republican debate in Milwaukee.
“That’s why Ron DeSantis will be showing up on Wednesday night to debate, and Donald Trump will not,” he said.
