In a recent interview with entrepreneur Patrick Bet-David, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) assured that he would’ve won his 2018 election without President Donald Trump’s (R) endorsement.
The fallout between Gov. DeSantis and President Trump has been massive for the Republican party, and the rivalry dates back before the 2022 midterm election.
In 2018, then-Congressman DeSantis launched a gubernatorial bid, defeating Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and challenging Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (R) in the general election.
It was in this election that Trump endorsed the gubernatorial hopeful, sparking a friendship that emboldened the MAGA movement. However, when 2022 came around and rumors circulated that DeSantis was set to launch a presidential bid, the tides turned.
Trump began to campaign against DeSantis, calling him disloyal and dubbing him “Ron DeSanctimonious,” and the attacks have only grown as both Republicans venture onward in their respective campaigns.
“Trump was a factor in 2018,” DeSantis said on the PBD Podcast, adding that “it didn’t matter what I did. They were gonna vote against me.”
In the 2018 election, DeSantis defeated Gillum by roughly 30,000 votes. In contrast, DeSantis won his reelection campaign by an estimated 1.5 million votes, and this was without Trump’s endorsement.
As such, DeSantis admits that it his campaign was strong enough to win in 2018 without the president’s endorsement.
Trump’s campaign disagrees.
When asked to comment on DeSantis’ remarks, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung argued that DeSantis is attempting to “rewrite history,” adding that the governor “needs to check himself into a mental institution.”
Cheung also repeated claims that DeSantis was crying when he asked Trump to endorse his gubernatorial campaign.
