As former President Donald Trump ramps up his attacks against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to keep the latter from pursuing a 2024 Presidential bid, lawmakers have come out in defense of DeSantis.
As part of his offensive attack to keep DeSantis at bay, Trump has picked up several formal endorsements within the Senate Republican Conference. His decision to gain support from prominent figures within the GOP foreshadows how a potential decision by DeSantis to run for President could divide the GOP during the primaries.
Republicans who believe Trump’s outsized presence in the GOP is to blame for the party’s poor performance in the midterms think DeSantis’s decision to make whether or not he decides to run for the White House in 2024.
They also assert DeSantis doesn’t owe Trump — who credits himself as the reason DeSantis won in 2018 — any special treatment, despite Trump claiming DeSantis running would be a “great act of disloyalty.”
Speaking about DeSantis’s possible 2024 bid, Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) insisted the Governor of the “important state” carried out “an impressive reelection campaign.”
Cornyn added that it appeared as if DeSantis “is polling well,” adding, “I think we need some new blood, and I think he’d probably qualify.”
When questioned about Trump’s assertions that it would be a “great act of disloyalty” for DeSantis to run against the former President, Cornyn barely held back his laugh, answering, “I don’t think so.”
Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) also indicated she didn’t believe DeSantis’ actions would amount to disloyalty, explaining she had an expectation that “a number of Republican candidates [who] had President Trump’s endorsement” would run in 2024, “even people on the president’s cabinet.”
