With speculation that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) will run in the 2024 Election, businessman and philanthropist George Soros predicts DeSantis will defeat former President Donald Trump in the Republican primary. More importantly, he says this fracture will give the Democrats four more years in the White House.
According to Fox News, Soros made this prediction Thursday at the Munich Security Conference. "My hope for 2024 is that Trump and Gov. DeSantis of Florida will slug it out for the Republican nomination," he is quoted as saying.
Additionally, Soros calls Trump a "pitiful figure" whose ego has become "a disease." On the other hand, he compliments DeSantis as "shrewd, ruthless and ambitious."
The full nature of his prediction is that DeSantis' victory will make Trump run as a third-party candidate. "That would lead to a Democratic landslide and force the Republican Party to reform itself," he says.
However, the most ardent of Trump supporters equate Soros' take with an endorsement. Newsweek reports that Republicans such as Arizona's Kari Lake calls this "the Kiss of Death" while former Florida candidate Laura Loomer says this "endorsement" "speaks volumes that Soros wants DeSantis to be the nominee."
At the same time, they also note that former Trump legal adviser Jenna Ellis tweets "FACT CHECK: Soros did not endorse Ron DeSantis. Lying about DeSantis isn’t going to help Trump."
FACT CHECK: Soros did not endorse Ron DeSantis. Lying about DeSantis isn’t going to help Trump.https://t.co/DhTgn4JIv6
— Jenna Ellis ?? (@JennaEllisEsq) February 17, 2023
Even then, DeSantis has not officially announced his intention to run.
In fact, when asked at a recent press conference if he will, DeSantis cheekily answered with, "wouldn’t you like to know?"
