For the last couple years, Ron DeSantis has come off like a tough guy. He didn’t need your vaccine mandates or masks or social distancing. He could bully kids in front of television cameras, and none of his base would care. His ego got so big that he even quietly came for the king himself: Donald Trump, his most famous resident, who hates his guts because he thinks he’ll challenge him for the 2024 presidential bid. Well, turns out even DeSantis may find that a bridge too far.
Vanity Four spoke to four Republican insiders, asking if they thought DeSantis would run if Trump decided he was as well. The answer: probably not. One, who had spoken to Republican donors, said, “He’s led them to believe he will not run if Trump does.”
Another pointed out that he’s only 44, with half of his whole life ahead of him. Why risk alienating the party by going head-to-head with its big cheese (who lives in a resort, ranting to strangers). “He can walk into the presidency in 2028 without pissing off Trump or Florida,” the source told VF. “What would you rather do? Be the governor of Florida for certain or go run for president?”
As of now, DeSantis and Trump remain at loggerheads. “They hate each other,” a source said, bluntly. But while Trump is famously petty, he’s also famously forgiving — provided one flip-flops to his side. After all, he’s about to campaign for Marco Rubio, whom he’s been known to flay on live television. Besides, as embattled as Trump is on many sides, it’s not like he can’t run for president from prison.
(Via Vanity Fair)