On Thursday (May 18), in a phone call to donors, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) suggested he is the only GOP candidate able to beat President Joe Biden in 2024.
According to a reporter for The New York Times who listened in on the phone call, DeSantis had a confident tone while making his argument.
The Florida governor did everything but officially announce his candidacy, telling donors that there were only three credible individuals for the 2024 White House race — himself, President Joe Biden, and former President Donald Trump.
Elsewhere in the phone call, DeSantis praised Trump’s policies but pointed to his electoral record and the durability of his influence, arguing that many of those victories were overturned by the victory of Biden and other Democrats.
DeSantis explained that most Republican voters believe the GOP has “to win this time,” adding that criticism directed at him shows that “the corporate media wants Trump to be the nominee,” because, as he pointed out, if Florida GOP says “we’re going to do something, we do it, and get it done.”
Later in the call, the Florida Governor criticized Trump for prioritizing executive orders over leadership in Congress.
DeSantis also highlighted his former Tea Party roots in pursuing federal budget cuts, a project he accused the Trump administration of ignoring.
He shared his belief that “voters want to move on from Biden” but needed a “vehicle they can get behind,” adding too many voters didn’t believe Trump was that vehicle.
DeSantis’s confidence comes amid reports that the Florida Governor will officially announce his entry into the 2024 White House race as soon as May 25.
