DeSantis Defends MAGA Republicans While his Staffer and Supporters Demonize Them

Even though all of the statewide and national public opinion polls do not reflect it, it is a two-man race between former President Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential primary contest, and MAGA Republicans could eventually make the difference in the contest.

Gov. DeSantis has all but moved to Iowa in hopes of garnering enough support to win or place a close second to President Trump in the all-important caucus state of Iowa.

In order for him to have a good showing when the Iowans caucus in January, DeSantis will have to continue his almost breakneck traversing of the state. This weekend, DeSantis travels to Iowa again and will take part in another Never Back Down PAC bus tour.

DeSantis will hold about 5-6 public events, visiting cities like Ankeny and Dubuque.

But while DeSantis’s weekend is planned out, he wasn’t planning on having to compete with former President Trump, who just announced that he would hold a rally-type event in Cedar Springs.

DeSantis advisor David Polyansky recently stated,” Donald Trump is late to the game and his not scrambling his jet to Iowa.”

Polyansky and Team DeSantis have been framing the narrative that this race is solely between their boss and Trump, even though DeSantis has fallen to third place in both South Carolina and New Hampshire.

The biggest challenge DeSantis faces is winning over the MAGA base of the Republican Party.

He needs to win over the MAGA base, or at least pick off a good chunk of the voters to have any chance of winning the primary election.

This will be a heavy lift for DeSantis considering how his team and surrogates/”influencers” continue to bash Trump’s staunchest supporters, sounding more like progressive Democrats than Republicans.

Recently, DeSantis appeared to make a move to appeal to Trump’s MAGA by defending them after former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton demonized the “MAGA extremists” who she says “ take their marching orders from Donald Trump.”

In an interview with CNN;’s Christiane Amanpour, Clinton, sounded much like DeSantis surrogates when she referred to MAGA Republicans as “cult members” who need both “emotional” and “psychological” help.

"It's a classic tale of an authoritarian populist who really has a grip on the emotional, psychological needs and desires of a portion of the population," Clinton said. "And the base of the Republican Party, for whatever combination of reasons — and it is emotional and psychological — sees in him someone who speaks for them, and they are determined that they will continue to vote for him, attend his rallies, wear his merchandise because for whatever reason, he and his very negative, nasty form of politics resonates with them,” said Clinton.

DeSantis fired back during an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” while taking a parting shot at Trump

"These are patriotic Americans. Most Republicans appreciate what Trump did but also understand that he's got limitations in terms of his electability. He would be a lame duck on day one if he could even get elected. I think he'd have major problems with personnel. And of course he didn't deliver on his core promises to drain the swamp, to have Mexico pay for the border wall, or to eliminate the debt. He added $7.8 trillion to the debt,” said DeSantis.

The DeSantis War Room on “X” which is run by the controversial Christina Pushaw, posted the video interview and text of DeSantis defending MAGA Republicans.

The defense is rich in hypocrisy as Pushaw, who is said to be the ring leader of the DeSantis “X” influencers, herself has echoed Democrat Party talking points and tactics and gone after “MAGA Republicans” and “Magadonians.”

Pushaw has also been referring to members of Congress who have endorsed Trump as "Magadonians" and  "MAGA" Republicans, much like Progressive Democrats have used the acronym to demean all Republicans.

This is the same rapid response that quickly used the unfortunate defrauding of a Holocaust survivor to try to take land a political jab on Trump.

"Maga congressman / former Trump admin official. Maybe he and the Maga mask tyrant from Miami can get together and talk about liberties," stated Pushaw in a recent “X” repost.

When DeSantis referred to Trump’s congressional endorsees like Reps. Byron Donalds, Cory Mills, Matt Gaetz, and Lauren Boebert, to name a few, and his voting base of support as being “listless vessels,” he didn’t do himself any favors.

For his own political sake, “America’s Governor” is rightfully defending the same MAGA Republicans he called “listless vessels” from the likes of Clinton and progressive, but also from his very own supporters and staffers.

Like Clinton, DeSantis’s Pushaw-friendly “X” surrogates have continued to  refer to Trump supporters as “cultists” and “Magadonians.”