Why DeSantis thinks Trump’s strategy for picking a running mate is a ‘mistake’
Ron DeSantis cast doubts on the criteria Donald Trump may use to select his 2024 running mate during a call with hundreds of supporters on Wednesday.
The Florida governor and former presidential candidate ruled out being on Trump’s ticket and declined to lend his support to any of the contenders already openly vying to be the Republican vice presidential candidate.
“I’ve heard they are leaning more on identity politics,” DeSantis said of Trump’s vetting process. “I think that’s a mistake.”
DeSantis appeared on a Zoom call Wednesday afternoon with more than 200 people who pledged to be delegates for him at the Republican National Convention this summer if he became the nominee. DeSantis ended his White House campaign on Jan. 21, six days after losing the Iowa caucuses by 30 points.
When asked by one of his supporters about the No. 2 slot, DeSantis deadpanned, “I am not doing that,” but said he was aware of people actively seeking it.
In a Fox News townhall on Tuesday night, Trump confirmed he’s considering Vivek Ramaswamy, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, as well as DeSantis, to be his running mate.
Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Desantis “failed miserably in his presidential campaign and does not have a voice in selecting the next Vice President of the United States.”
“Rather than throw cheap shots from afar, Ron should focus on what he can do to Fire Joe Biden and Make America Great Again,” Leavitt continued.
DeSantis also conveyed concerns about the 2024 campaign, predicting that Republicans would probably end up being outspent by 3-to-1.
He was likely reacting to this week’s campaign finance reports showing President Biden having stockpiled $130 million to unleash over the next eight months. Trump, meanwhile, began the year with just $33 million and the Republican National Committee only reported $8 million.
“For all the baggage Trump has, he couldn’t ask for a better opponent,” DeSantis acknowledged, referring to the incumbent’s dreadful approval ratings.
DeSantis also took glancing shots at the conservative media ecosystem, complaining that they refused to hold Trump accountable for his most dubious promises.
The governor concluded that “their business model doesn’t work if they did.”
“I think he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and the conservative media wouldn’t even tell you it happened,” DeSantis said, reprising a famous Trump quote in which he boasted about the fierce loyalty of his supporters.
The call, which ran just over 30 minutes, demonstrated DeSantis’ continued interest in nurturing the national network he established during his failed 2024 bid.
Asked about 2028, DeSantis declared, “I haven’t ruled anything out.”
This story was originally published February 21, 2024 at 5:21 PM.
