Tipsheet

Did Ron DeSantis Really Have His 'Basket of Deplorables' Moment?

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  August 21, 2023 9:30 AM

Team Trump is hitting Ron DeSantis hard over his "listless vessels" comment, arguing the Florida governor just had his own "deplorables" moment. 

The Republican presidential candidate made the remark during an interview with The Florida Standard.

"We have a strand in our party that views supporting Trump as whether you are a RINO or not,” the governor said. “And so you could be the most conservative person since sliced bread, unless you’re kissing his rear end, they will somehow call you a RINO. So it's been totally detached from principle and what you actually believe, in results, and it’s more about, you know, just what faction you happen to do. So there will be people who are huge Trump supporters, like in Congress, who have like incredibly liberal left-wing records that’s really just atrocious, and yet they’re viewed by some of these folks as like really, really good. Then you have other people, you know, like a Congressman Chip Roy, who’s endorsed me, Congressman Thomas Massie, these guys have records of principle, fighting the swamp, that are second to none, and yet they will be attacked by some of these people and called RINOs? So it’s just been totally detached from any type of substance. And ultimately, a movement can’t be about the personality of one individual. The movement has gotta be about what are you trying to achieve on behalf of the American people, and that’s gotta be based in principle. Because if you’re not rooted in principle, if all we are is listless vessels that are just supposed to follow, you know, whatever happens to come down the pike on TRUTH Social every morning, that’s not going to be a durable movement."

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said DeSantis was pulling a page from Hillary Clinton's "failed playbook" with the remark. 

“He called all Trump supporters ‘listless vessels’ just like Crooked did in 2016 when she called us ‘Deplorables.’ How did that work out? He should stop listening to his establishment handlers and start listening to the American people telling him to go back home," Cheung said in a statement, according to The Hill. 

Recommended

Why Again Do We Still Have a Special Relationship With the Tyrannical UK? Kurt Schlichter
Bucks County Dem Apologizes for Trying to Steal the PA Senate Race Matt Vespa

Others aligned with the former president made similar arguments. 

DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin clarified the governor's comment in a statement posted on X.

"The dishonest media refuses to report the facts—Donald Trump and some congressional endorsers are 'listless vessels.' Why? Because Trump and DC insiders feel he is entitled to your vote. @RonDeSantis believes your trust should be earned and has the vision, plan, and record to beat Joe Biden and reverse the decline of our country.That’s why Ron DeSantis will be showing up on Wednesday night to debate, and Donald Trump will not."

Other conservatives came to DeSantis' defense.