Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) said the United States needs a president who can serve two terms, a knock to former President Donald Trump, who would return to the White House as a lame-duck on Day 1.
DeSantis launched his long-anticipated campaign for president in 2024 on Wednesday, enduring months of mudslinging and ad attacks from the former president. The Florida governor said that the country is on the “wrong track,” but Trump is not the person who can significantly solve issues, as he could only serve for four years before terming out in 2028.
FOOD STAMPS: WHY SNAP BENEFIT PAYMENTS COULD BE AMONG FIRST CASUALTIES OF DEBT CEILING CRISIS
“Who is going to be the leader to be able to win the election … and then get in and implement the type of policies that are gonna get the country back on track?” DeSantis told Good Morning NH on Thursday.
“I don’t think you can handle all of these issues that we’re going to need to do … without two terms. I think you need to be able to serve two terms. I think that’s very important,” he said.
Now that DeSantis is in the race, the tension between the two candidates is only expected to grow. DeSantis suggested on Thursday that Trump was “moving to the left” and was so caught up in attacking him that Trump was losing sight of his main Republican base.
However, Trump is not appearing to let DeSantis’s comments or campaign bother him. On Thursday, he said he felt comfortable about his chances in 2024 after DeSantis’s campaign launch faced several technological issues.
Trump told reporters at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, that he was feeling “great” about the 2024 election, citing recent polls that showed the former president with a substantial lead over the Florida governor.
“They’re all good,” Trump said. “The polls are very nice, so having a lot of fun.”
The former president has been critical of DeSantis several times, stating he has “no personality” and lacks “a lot of political skill” in an interview with the Messenger.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
DeSantis is entering the race with a series of legislative wins on hot-button topics relating to LGBT issues, abortion, and immigration, as well as a 20-percentage-point reelection win in the 2022 midterm elections. However, he will face a tougher battle in the 2024 Republican race.
Trump and DeSantis will face former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy in the race to win the GOP presidential nomination.
