Ron DeSantis is many conservatives’ top choice for a Donald Trump vice presidential pick on the Trump/DeSantis ticket in 2024.
But the Florida governor has thus far been throwing cold water on the idea, even as he has not formally announced his intention to run in the race.
In an interview with Eric Bolling on Newsmax, DeSantis said on Thursday that he is more of an “executive guy.”
"I think I'm probably more of an executive guy. I think that you want to be able to do things," Gov. Ron DeSantis on the possibility of being Donald Trump's running mate. @ericbolling pic.twitter.com/9KprtllPP8
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) March 24, 2023
“I think I’m probably more of an executive guy… I think that you want to be able to do things,” he said. “That’s part of the reason I got into this job is because we have action. We are able to make things happen. And I think that’s probably what I’m best suited for.”
Bolling then asked DeSantis if he became the Republican presidential nominee if he would choose Trump to be his vice presidential nominee.
DeSantis laughed off the question, but called Bolling’s question “interesting speculation.”
At his rally in Waco, Texas on Saturday, former President Donald Trump escalated his attacks on the Florida governor.
Reaction of real life Trump supporters to Trump bashing DeSantis.
Now compare this to what you see via his campaign paid-for Twitter comments. pic.twitter.com/epgBXZCxmU
— Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 (@MarinaMedvin) March 26, 2023
Trump doubled down on taking credit for DeSantis’s early political success, telling a crowd of thousands that the Florida governor’s political career would be “dead” without his backing.
Trump rehashed stories of DeSantis asking him for his endorsement in 2018, which he said allowed his career to take off “like a rocketship.”
“We laugh at him now, but he was one of the hottest people in politics,” Trump said. “But I think we’re doing well, I mean we’re up … in the polls in the last four or five in the last month.”
A national poll published this week showed that Trump has increased his lead over DeSantis in GOP primary polling.
In the Monmouth University survey, Trump received 41% support and DeSantis received 27% support among Republican voters questioned about potential 2024 candidates.
In a hypothetical two-person Republican nomination showdown, the former president edged the two-term Florida governor by the margin of 47%-46%.
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OPINION: This article contains commentary which reflects the author's opinion.