Gov. DeSantis and Donald Trump Throw Barbs At Each Other
[guest post by Dana]
Two peas in a pod who hold no affection for one another:
While DeSantis and the former president are already locked in a 2024 cold war, the smackdown has been unfolding off camera. According to a former DeSantis congressional staffer, DeSantis trashes Trump in private.
“He calls him a TV personality and a moron who has no business running for president,” the former staffer said. DeSantis tells donors that, if he takes on Trump, he would launch a full frontal attack on his record and competence, according to a GOP source briefed on the conversations. “DeSantis says the only way to beat Trump is to attack him head-on. ”
Trump, meanwhile, vents about DeSantis constantly, according to people who speak with him. Trump’s animus is fueled by his belief that he put DeSantis in the governor’s mansion. In conversations, Trump reminds people that then congressman DeSantis was losing by double digits during the 2018 gubernatorial primary until Trump backed him. Sources said it galls Trump that DeSantis hasn’t acknowledged the boost Trump provided, aside from a cursory acknowledgement in his victory speech.
Trump tells people, ‘I made Ron,’” a prominent Republican told Vanity Fair. “Trump says that about a lot of people. But in this case it’s actually true.”
Clearly, Trump really doesn’t think much of the man he claims to have “made”:
The 45th president called the Florida governor “fat,” “phony,” and “whiny” when Haberman asked about him during a meeting late this summer at the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey. It is not clear if Trump offers additional disparaging remarks about DeSantis that are documented in the book and not the Atlantic article.
Trump’s comments were made around the same time as news emerged that DeSantis had raised more money since January of last year than himself or President Joe Biden. News of DeSantis’s impressive haul was confirmed by Open Secrets, which analyzed the fundraising efforts of the top 20 presidential contenders. DeSantis raised $177.4 million for his reelection campaign as of Sept. 9, a national record for gubernatorial campaigns.
And while it’s certainly early days, polling shows DeSantis leading Trump with Florida Republicans:
In addition to fundraising, DeSantis also leads the former president by an impressive 8 points in a USA Today/Suffolk University poll asking how Florida Republican registered voters would vote in a hypothetical primary between the two. That poll is far from an outlier, with numerous others in the last year having similar results.
Meanwhile, as Trump faces six lawsuits(!), DeSantis faces his own legal challenges over flying migrants to Martha’s Vineyard. His stunt, however, raised his national profile in a positive way with fellow Republicans:
DeSantis has reaped political benefits, grabbing center stage on an issue that once helped propel Donald Trump to the White House and putting Democrats on defense over the nation’s chaotic and overstressed immigration system. Republican leaders have embraced his tactics and begun fundraising off pledges to fly migrants to other blue-state enclaves.
At this point, barring a catastrophe, one of these blustery yahoos will very likely become the Republican nominee. We already know Trump’s schtick, and we’ve seen DeSantis in action in Florida. The question is, which of these two can out-populist the other and capture the MAGA base while offering specific policies that will entice non-MAGA voters?
On a side note, can you imagine these two going after each other on a debate stage? DeSantis is brash, polished, knows policy and politics, and would win hands down on that alone. Trump is not polished and doesn’t know a lot about policy, talks over challengers, deflects and dismisses, and yet he is able to suck the air out of the room with his bellicosity, an unwavering belief in himself, and an incredible lack of self-awareness. Voters will have an interesting time of it if they both run for the presidency.
–Dana
I’m curious as to whether you think MAGA voters would stick with Trump and his schtick, or would they be drawn in by DeSantis’s more polished yet similar schtick?
Dana (1225fc) — 9/27/2022 @ 10:15 amVoters will have a VERY interesting time of it if Ron and Don run on the same ticket. It would not be the first presidential election in which the top two primary candidates formed an alliance to take into the general election.
Trump would need to re-locate, of course. Can’t have two candidates from Florida. Which state would be the latest in which he could establish residency?
Pouncer (0a4a9e) — 9/27/2022 @ 10:36 amInteresting thought, but I just don’t see either one of them agreeing to play second fiddle.
Dana (1225fc) — 9/27/2022 @ 10:38 amA little bit of Desantis is enough; he’s a bum; 10 minutes of him is enough to kill your plants. He’s not nearly as entertaining as Trump- who can perform for hours. It’s Trump’s party anyway, not DeSantis’. Thing is, DeSantis is in office now; Trump has been out nearly two years. So DeSantis’ job performance is easily scrutinized in the immediate. For instance, he’s all over the Ian storm prep- so much so that desperate Joey didn’t call him – a Republican- but called the mayors of St. Petersburg and Tampa- both Democrats, instead, to get a little rubbed off for some street cred prep. DeSantis would take the #2 spot w/Trump for sure– or suffer a Christie oblivion. Trump can only serve one term as is. And DeSantis at VP, given his age and experienced, would be well positioned for a two term run after a one term stint as VP. My support remains w/Nikki, who is better suited for this era. Haley’s the right age, gender and ethnicity and experience mix w/a personal story fitting for the shifting demographics of the U.S. And she’s self-confident enough to project her presence as a woman to wear a dress in the man’s world of big league politics; Thatcheresque; something the sisterhood in pantsuits- HRC and Kamala- are not. If you look and dress like a fire plug, the pack of political dogs are sure to piss on ‘ya.
DCSCA (f8ea8d) — 9/27/2022 @ 11:05 amApparently this may be a misinterpretation. Electors cannot vote for a Presidential and Vice Presidential candidate who both hail from an elector’s home state. For instance, if both candidates come from Florida, Florida’s electors may vote for one of the candidates, but not both.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/27/2022 @ 11:32 amDCSCA,
I understand your affection for Nikki Haley, who has played a bad hand as well as possible. If Trump is unavailable because of health or legal issues, she has a pathway to the nomination. DisSantis is inauthentic Trump but competent enough — which is either preferable to or much worse than the real article, but in either event, quite fake. I don’t see him trying to pull a Big Lie 1/6 (not having Trump’s narcissistic imagination), but I do see him pulling it off if he did try.
Appalled (6ca6f0) — 9/27/2022 @ 12:14 pm@6. 10 minute clips and 10 second quips does not denote DeSantis competence. He’s a short fused bum; and a twin-Florida ticket doesn’t sell well. Still, in this era, the sizzle not the steak is what matters in these times. Right now, the country is gnawing on a raw chicken leg– which is what tourists tie into crab traps as bait along the Delaware coast, eh Joey?!
DCSCA (153426) — 9/27/2022 @ 12:32 pmIts like when hitler attacked stalin you don’t know who to boo for!
asset (b04817) — 9/27/2022 @ 1:20 pmTexas attorney general ken paxton who has been indicted for fraud and bribery ran away from a process server in a case involving texas abortion law.
asset (b04817) — 9/27/2022 @ 1:28 pmVastly prefer DeSantis over Trump.
Guess that doesn’t make my maga enough… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I think DeSantis *could* raise his profile even if he’s aggressive in going after Trump, and win in a close primary.
I’d like to see others jump into the primary though.
whembly (b770f8) — 9/27/2022 @ 2:32 pmI think DeSantis *could* raise his profile even if he’s aggressive in going after Trump, and win in a close primary.
Lest you forget: ‘Little Marco.’
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/little-marco
DCSCA (48ea1c) — 9/27/2022 @ 3:53 pmIts like when hitler attacked stalin you don’t know who to boo for!
Might wanna lay off the “booze”— Stalin was an American ally in WW2, asset. 😉
DCSCA (48ea1c) — 9/27/2022 @ 4:43 pmDeSantis is the methadone which helps you quit the heroin that is Trump.
norcal (da5491) — 9/27/2022 @ 5:10 pmBlasts precede Baltic pipeline leaks, sabotage seen likely
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Denmark said Tuesday it believed “deliberate actions” by unknown perpetrators were behind big leaks, which seismologists said followed powerful explosions, in two natural gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.
European leaders and experts pointed to possible sabotage amid the energy standoff with Russia provoked by the war in Ukraine. Although filled with gas, neither pipeline is currently supplying it to Europe. “It is the authorities’ clear assessment that these are deliberate actions -– not accidents,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said.
But she added that “there is no information indicating who could be behind it.” Frederiksen also rejected the suggestion that the incident was an attack on Denmark, saying the leaks occurred in international waters. The incident overshadowed the inauguration of a long-awaited pipeline that will bring Norwegian gas to Poland to bolster the continent’s energy independence from Moscow. – AP.com
Hmmmmm. So what has President Rice been up to?
Back in the day, in ’69, the U.S. government offered up “assets” to a select group of U.S. oil executive meeting in London for an operation to take out Libya’s then new leader, Kaddafi, after he came to power, seized control of and nationalized the rich, LSC oil fields the firms were running– which, at the time, were providing vital crude for refining and use to fuel the Vietnam war. After a tense meeting, the execs voted to leave him in place- reasoning they’d not know who’d replace him.
If U.S. covert ops did this deed, even through a third party– and someday we’ll know; it’s an act of war by Joey’s government.
DCSCA (48ea1c) — 9/27/2022 @ 5:33 pmThey are not two peas in a pod. DeSantis seems to have actually attended classes at Yale and Harvard law. Even with all his flaws DeSantis is light years better than Newsom, Harris, Biden or heaven forfend, Hillary.
steveg (aa7fb6) — 9/27/2022 @ 7:53 pmHere is an introduction to a book that also describes how it will be for anyone in the GOP to follow Trump
steveg (e45efb) — 9/27/2022 @ 9:52 pmhttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/FdOEDN-WYAAVQtV?format=jpg&name=small
@12 not on june 22 1941 when hitler attacked. Dec.7 1941 was still nearly six months away.
asset (8d9bea) — 9/28/2022 @ 2:54 amDCSCA,
So, in your mind, how likely is it that the US sabotaged the pipelines? Instead of Russia. (I guess you visualize a US false flag operation simulating a Russian false flag operation? Oh, my aching head…)
Appalled (c5f7aa) — 9/28/2022 @ 6:29 amI’ve been ruminating as to WHO would “profit” from this sabotage and the only entity that I can come up with is Russia.
They no longer generate massive revenue for Russia though, because NS2 was never opened and NS1 has been shut off by Russia since August.
Blowing up these pipelines costs Russia nothing, because Gazprom announced record profits on far less gas flowing into Europe, and elsewhere. Russia doesn’t need these anymore.
The only logical perpetrator is Russia. They blow up their own disused pipeline, which would be more easily brushed off as not a direct act of war. It carries the explicit threat that they can do the same for other pipelines in the Baltic, North and Mediterranean Seas. It creates more energy uncertainty, further driving up prices to the benefit of Russia.
Russia is laughing all the way to the bank, only having to blow up 2 pipelines that are likely to never see much future use anyway. While at the same time, leverage the ambiguity to blame Ukraine/US/Europe as possible saboteur for home consumption.
whembly (b770f8) — 9/28/2022 @ 7:28 amWhat the European nations are learning is that he who sups should have a long spoon. They were worse than shortsighted in placing their energy reliance in the hands of the Russian state. The Russian state always betrays everyone.
nk (f583bd) — 9/28/2022 @ 8:13 amNew post up re Nord leaks.
Dana (e2a138) — 9/28/2022 @ 8:47 am@18. Just game it out.
a) Doesn’t make much sense for Putin to cut off any line of energy to paying customers w/his cashflow needs, especially by blowing it up instead of just terminating flow w/o destroying the delivery system.
b) Squinty McBlabbermouth already shot his wad on this in February:
Biden vows US will ‘end’ Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline if Ukraine invaded by Russia
https://nypost.com/2022/02/07/biden-vows-us-will-end-nord-stream-2-gas-pipeline-if-ukraine-invaded/
c) Personal experience a la Libya, circa 1969.
“The West” likely it- either the U.S. directly or via a proxy- NATO or otherwise, for plausible deniability purposes.
DCSCA (699eb9) — 9/28/2022 @ 9:10 am20… channeling Trump admonishing the Germans…
Colonel Haiku (0416b6) — 9/28/2022 @ 9:17 amRip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/28/2022 @ 9:19 am