‘He Is Going to Hang That Around Ron DeSantis’s Neck’: Former House Republican Points to ‘Biggest Opportunity’ for Trump at CPAC
Ex-Republican Rep. David Jolly (FL) said former President Donald Trump has a clear opportunity to score points against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at the upcoming Conservative Political Action Conference this weekend.
It involves former Florida governor and a bane of the MAGA movement’s existence, Jeb Bush.
Jolly appeared on Wednesday’s edition of The ReidOut, where Joy Reid cited past CPAC straw polls, a staple of the annual event, which Trump is scheduled to attend.
She noted past winners of the surveys seldom went on to win the presidency, or even become the GOP nominee. While only Trump has declared his candidacy for 2024, many believe DeSantis will follow suit. That possibility has irked Trump, who regards the governor as disloyal after Trump endorsed him for his current post in 2018.
“George W. Bush did win it in 2000,” Reid noted. “But other than that, you had Jack Kemp in 1993 back in the good old normie days. Gary Bauer won in 1999, man. You know, Ron Paul won it in 2010. It’s a grab bag.”
“So that’s when the conference truly was kind of conservative, if you will,” Jolly replied. “It was the most conservative. And it represented this far right wing of the party. Now it is the angry populist movement and the MAGA movement.”
Jolly went on to say Trump has a chance to put DeSantis in his place among the base of the party by harping on Bush’s praise of the governor.
Bush has called DeSantis an “effective governor” and stated, “Florida could be a model of the nation.” Jeb! later clarified to say he “was praising, not endorsing DeSantis.”
“This is the biggest opportunity Donald Trump has had since he launched his reelection campaign,” Jolly said. “Look, on the eve of CPAC, Ron DeSantis just rolled out the endorsement of Jeb Bush. Now, if Donald Trump is worth his salt as the angry, populist leader of MAGA nation, he is going to hang that around Ron DeSantis’s neck, and do it at CPAC.”
It is unclear what if any rollout Jolly is referencing, as DeSantis does not appear to have touted Bush’s praise. Nevertheless, kind words about the governor from a man Trump took glee in pillorying in the 2016 debates could give the former president plenty of fodder.
Watch above via Fox News.
CORRECTION: This article originally stated Ron DeSantis is scheduled to attend this year’s CPAC. He is actually skipping the event.
