Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has hinted at a potential 2024 presidential run during an interview with Fox News’ Piers Morgan that will air Thursday evening. “If I were to run, I'm running against Biden," DeSantis said, intimating that he believes he can secure the Republican nomination ahead of former President Donald Trump. Acknowledging that he would first have to go toe to toe with the 45th president, DeSantis said: "Like we are competing for the Republican [nomination] potentially, I get that.”
"But ultimately you know the guy I'm gonna focus on is Biden because I think he's failed the country. I think the country wants a change," DeSantis told Morgan. After declaring that he believes he could beat the sitting president, the governor laid out his credentials:
"I think what it takes is to have a vision for the country, have the ability to exercise leadership and being willing to stand in that fire when it gets really hot and not back down under pressure… And I think I have all those things."
Although the Sunshine State's top dog has yet to officially announce his candidacy, the portents of a campaign are ubiquitous. In late 2022, Liberty Nation exclusively reported that the governor is "beginning the process of hiring from within the ranks of his gubernatorial campaign staff for a presidential run in 2024."
And What of Donald Trump?
Morgan asked DeSantis what he thought of the sly digs from the former president, specifically, the nicknames. "I don't know how to spell 'DeSanctimonious,'" he replied. "I don't really know what it means, but, you know, I kind of like it. It's long. It's got a lot of vowels. I mean, we'd go with that. That's fine…You know, you can call me whatever you want. I mean, just as long as you also call me a winner."
DeSantis talked about the lack of support he is now receiving from Trump, saying, "You know, he used to say how great of a governor I was. And then I win a big victory, and all of a sudden, he had different opinions, so you can take that for what it's worth… At the end of the day, one of the reasons I've been successful as governor is I don't really pay attention to a lot of the background noise." He continued:
"I mean, he is obviously a big fish, but I get attacked all the time from every different angle, and you either put points on the board or you don't. And so I just focus on delivering the wins, and I think we have done a pretty good job of following through on our promises."
Returning Fire?
DeSantis was not above taking a swipe at Trump’s leadership style. "In terms of my approach to leadership, I get personnel in the Government who have the agenda of the people and share our agenda. You bring your own agenda in you’re gone. We’re just not gonna have that," DeSantis said. "So, the way we run the Government I think is no daily drama, focus on the big picture and put points on the board and I think that’s something that’s very important."
This interview was far from the first salvo in a conflict many believe will dominate the Republican primary cycle, but it was almost certainly the clearest. As DeSantis himself said regarding a potential announcement, “stay tuned.”
