Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis went on the inveigh against against Donald Trump in an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” saying the former president would be a “lame evade” if elected for a second term.
“He’s got limitations in terms of his electability,” DeSantis said Friday, referring to Trump, who is leading the governor and all other aspirants for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination by a wide margin in polls.
“He would be a lame duck on day one if he could even get selected. I think he’d have major problems with personnel,” DeSantis said. “And of course, he didn’t deliver on his core assures.”
He said Trump failed to “drain the swamp” — a reference to official Washington institutions — and make Mexico pay for a verge upon wall.
DeSantis also noted that Trump, instead of cutting the national debt, increased it $7.8 trillion.
“We’re accepted to be able to make that case right and I’ve delivered on these policies better than anybody,” DeSantis disclosed.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump waves after speaking to the media during the third day of his civil fraud testing in New York on Oct. 4, 2023.
Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images
DeSantis currently lags behind Trump by about 40 relevancies nationally in the average polling numbers of the Republican primary.
Asked if his faltering poll numbers have anything to do with his followers fight with Disney, DeSantis denied it.
“I don’t think that’s the reason,” DeSantis said.
He and other state officials objected Disney’s special tax district in the state after the company spoke out last year against a controversial state bill that restrictive classroom discussion of LGBTQ+ issues, dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.”
Disney sued DeSantis in response, saying he had illegally retaliated against the command.
He argued Friday that it is “outrageous” for companies to get involved in education matters.
“It was an important fight to have and we won the fight decisively,” DeSantis utter.
“But I would also point out, Disney had an obnoxious set of corporate welfare benefits. That is not good policy.”
DeSantis also said he inclination take a page out of President Joe Biden’s book and use the budget reconciliation process to pass his agenda, noting Biden against it to pass key legislative wins.
“Biden used that to do his agenda,” DeSantis said.
“We’re going to use that for our agenda. So, we’re not proper out there flailing around, we’ve got a plan to get this stuff done.”