Shortly after Gov. Ron DeSantis delivered his “State of the State” address on the floor of the Florida House of Representatives former Vice President Joe Biden decided to respond to DeSantis’ address, hitting him on “advancing the failed policies of Donald Trump” and channeling the president himself while praising Florida Democrats for “laying out a bold, winning agenda.”
The Trump reelection team was quick to counter Biden’s remarks against DeSantis, pointed to the record state unemployment rate and the fact that DeSantis is well-liked and respected by both Republicans and Democrats statewide.
And of course, Trump’s team had to highlight Biden’s missteps:
“Biden is advocating for radical far-left policies that run directly counter to the common-sense, pro-growth leadership Floridians have come to expect - including a plan to raise taxes by $3.2 trillion. That's not even to mention his disastrous foreign policy record: Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates famously stated that Biden has been wrong on "nearly every major foreign policy question," and Biden recently confused Iran and Iraq.
"Governor DeSantis has worked closely with President Trump to deliver impactful results for Floridians, including record-low unemployment of 3.1 percent. Joe Biden's attempt to piggyback onto Governor DeSantis's well-received State of the State address reveals a staggering ignorance of what's happening on the ground in Florida, where Governor DeSantis continues to enjoy bipartisan support." -- Trump Victory Spokesperson Emerson George
Was Biden’ response to DeSantis just a warm-up for that evening’s Democratic primary debate? Maybe.