Ron DeSantis Has NOT Asked Trump for Endorsement in Run for Re-Election: Report
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declined to seek an endorsement from former President Donald Trump in his bid to get elected this coming November, per a report from Politico.
This development, sourced to “four people connected” to both individuals, reiterates rising political tensions between Trump and DeSantis as both appear to maneuver towards a 2024 bid for the Republican nomination for the presidency.
Writing for Politico, Gary Fineout reports:
According to four people connected to the governor and former president, DeSantis has not asked Trump for a formal endorsement and isn’t planning to. It’s a clear sign that DeSantis, who more than four years ago was a little-known congressman from northeast Florida, has risen high in the GOP stratosphere.
DeSantis’ reluctance to seek the former president’s public support comes as the Florida governor prepares for a likely 2024 White House bid, even if Trump also runs in 2024 — setting up a potential clash between two powerful figures in the GOP.
“[DeSantis is] a Cat 5 hurricane in Florida politics — and in a good way if you are a Republican,” said Anthony Pedicini, a veteran GOP consultant in Florida. “He is a force of nature.”
Trump is still considered the GOP front-runner for 2024, but the current January 6th select committee hearings appear to have damaged him politically, with even one poll revealing that one in five registered Republicans want to see Trump indicted for his role in the attack on the capitol.
