Despite building a reputation for wading into culture war fights, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) kept quiet about such topics during a conversation with some of his top donors.
In a private call, DeSantis expressed confidence he would be the strongest candidate to take on President Joe Biden and that he is the only Republican who could win both the GOP primary and general election, according to the New York Times. However, the Florida governor steered clear of discussing his feud with Disney, even as the mass media company pulled out of a massive office construction project on Thursday that would have been worth roughly $1 billion and would have created 2,000 jobs.
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DeSantis spoke little of other divisive subjects, the outlet reported, instead focusing on painting himself as the best candidate and ruling out former President Donald Trump as a major threat to his campaign. The comments come as DeSantis is reportedly expected to announce his presidential bid next week, entering a crowded primary field for the Republican nomination.
“You have basically three people at this point that are credible in this whole thing,” DeSantis told the group. “Biden, Trump, and me. And I think of those three, two have a chance to get elected president — Biden and me, based on all the data in the swing states, which is not great for the former president and probably insurmountable because people aren’t going to change their view of him.”
Although DeSantis praised many of Trump’s policies while in office, the Florida governor suggested his values were more in line with what voters were looking for in a prospective nominee. DeSantis also took a jab at the former president for relying too heavily on executive orders while in office, pointing to his own experience working with legislators to pass laws in the Sunshine State.
“When we say we’re going to do something, we do it and get it done,” DeSantis said.
The Florida governor also suggested Trump lacked the electability needed to oust Biden from office, painting himself as the candidate needed to move past the current administration.
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“I think the voters want to move on from Biden,” he said. “They just want a vehicle they can get behind … [but] there’s just too many voters that don’t view Trump as that vehicle.”
DeSantis is expected to announce his presidential campaign on Thursday, making official what political operatives have been predicting for months. The Florida governor is widely considered a top challenger to Trump, who has been leading the primary field by wide margins since launching his bid late last year.