Former President Donald Trump went really off on Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) in a lengthy Wednesday night statement, as he's likely concerned about the governor as a threat in the 2024 presidential primary. Spencer and our friends at Twitchy highlighted some of the reactions. In the span of 40 minutes, Trump sent out four statements from the Save America PAC.
INBOX from a few minutes ago. The latest statement from Donald Trump. I want to ask BUT WHY?!? and call to MAKE IT STOP. We all know why though, and that it won’t. Hopefully DeSantis does NOT take the bait on this. I hate messy primaries y’all… pic.twitter.com/UaOummUQiE
— Rebecca Downs (@RebeccaRoseGold) November 10, 2022
While Republicans react to Trump's statements, including those who supported him in both presidential runs, another, very much unwanted figure has entered the conversation: Lincoln Project co-founder Rick Wilson.
Ron DeSantis is the leading Never Trump candidate in the nation.
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) November 11, 2022
As our friends at Twitchy also highlighted, there were plenty of responses calling Wilson out. This includes Stephen L. Miller telling him in no uncertain terms to stay out of it, albeit with some terms necessitating a language warning.
You're not coming through back that door. Ever. Enjoy your MSNBC hits. You earned them.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) November 11, 2022
Besides the usual reasons as to why DeSantis should want to be in no way mentioned by anyone associated with the Lincoln Project, as Jim Treacher pointed out, Wilson and his group have gone after the governor before.
That must be why you constantly bash him.
— jimtreacher.substack.com (@jtLOL) November 11, 2022
In April, they released the "Bad for business" ad against DeSantis, and in late October, during the final weeks before the election, released an ad claiming the popularly-elected governor was engaging in "tyranny." Between its launch on October 24 and Election Day on Tuesday, the Lincoln Project shared the ad no less than seven times. On Election Day, they also tweeted a claim that DeSantis was "turning Florida into an authoritarian state."
Ron DeSantis is turning Florida into an authoritarian state. https://t.co/VVtDvemMnK
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) November 8, 2022
DeSantis was reelected on Tuesday against Charlie Crist, who was running as a Democrat this time, by nearly 20 points. He outperformed the RealClearPolitics (RCP) polling average that had him with a +12.2 lead.
Despite the timing and promotion of such an ad, Wilson on Wednesday went on a lengthy, expletive-filled rant about how DeSantis was expected to win, even claiming DeSantis should have won by more. He did hint that Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried, whom Crist beat in the August primary by nearly 25 points, could have done better.
1/ Quick note on Florida.
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) November 9, 2022
What the fuck did you THINK would happen?
The Florida GOP is the single best Republican party in the country, hands down. It has infinite money, a deep bench of consultants and operatives, and *wins.*
4/ Florida was and has been a red state for a generation; blue wins were largely just statistical noise, certainly at the statewide level. This is win is not the flex they think it is.
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) November 9, 2022
6/ Why’d we take a couple pops at DeSantis? Because of a much longer game over the 2024 election battlefield and keeping Trump agitated and riled. It worked; cf the last week of Trump’s seething hate for Tater.
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) November 9, 2022
7/ This is like Mike Tyson boxing with a 90 year old man in a nursing home. The outcome is not unexpected.
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) November 9, 2022
Frankly, the question isn’t why DeSantis won by 20 points. Rather, why didn’t he win by 40 points?
end.
Wilson did also address why they still went after DeSantis, but it's not like what this man says is very trustworthy.
Trump is expected to announce he's running next week. Many of his endorsed-candidates failed to win their races, and arguably the most prominent one who did, Senator-elect J.D. Vance out of Ohio, did not mention him in his victory speech.
Further, speaking of the Lincoln Project and Vance's Senate race in Ohio, his opponent, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) had support from the disgraced group. Rep. Ryan's communications director, Isabella Levy, also took notice, begging them not to get involved.
pls no https://t.co/JNDqLzFOhH
— Izzi Levy (@chevytothe_levy) May 5, 2022
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