An adviser to former President Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign ridiculed Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) on Wednesday, casting doubts on the Florida governor’s political future and insisting that his “continued misguided attacks are only helping Joe Biden.”
Jason Miller, senior adviser to Trump’s 2024 campaign, said in a statement to the Washington Examiner that if DeSantis’s goal is to help the current president, he “should just get out of the race.”
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“Ron DeSantis needs to look in the mirror and recognize that at his current trajectory, it’s not just 2024 that is dead for him, but 2028 as well,” Miller added.
The adviser’s comments came in response to members of DeSantis’s team rebuking Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) for his criticism of Florida’s new teaching standards regarding African Americans and slavery. Donalds, the only black Republican member of Florida’s congressional delegation, said the new learning standards are generally “robust” and “accurate,” but that one line needs fixing.
In a social media post, Donalds, who has endorsed Trump for president, wrote, “the attempt to feature the personal benefits of slavery is wrong & needs to be adjusted.” The Florida Department of Education’s line with which he, civil rights leaders, Vice President Kamala Harris, and others have taken issue with reads, “slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”
Donalds added that highlighting the benefits of slavery “wasn’t the goal” of the education department’s new standards, adding, “I have faith that FLDOE will correct this.” Allies of DeSantis didn’t waste much time responding.
“This new curriculum is based on truth,” Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. said, per Florida’s Voice. “We will not back down from teaching our nation’s true history at the behest of a woke @WhiteHouse, nor at the behest of a supposedly conservative congressman.”
Jeremy Redfern, DeSantis’s press secretary, went after Donalds, too, also questioning where he lies on the political spectrum.
“Supposed conservatives in the federal government are pushing the same false narrative that originated from the @WhiteHouse,” Redfern said. “Florida isn’t going to hide the truth for political convenience.”
Donalds responded with confusion, writing on X that it was “crazy” to him to see the backlash because he largely took a favorable view of the state’s new teaching standards, only opposing one sentence. “Anyone who can’t accurately interpret what I said is disingenuous and is desperately attempting to score political points. Just another reason why l’m proud to have endorsed President Donald J. Trump!” the House Republican added.
DeSantis recently let go of staff members for his presidential campaign as he has struggled to gain ground against Trump in the lead-up to the 2024 Republican primary. Not just seen as the former president’s biggest threat to the GOP nomination, DeSantis was expected by many to closely rival and possibly surpass Trump around this time, but there are no indications of that coming to fruition.
Miller, Trump’s campaign adviser, used the attacks against Donalds to mock DeSantis’s current campaign predicament as well as take aim at his future political prospects beyond 2024.
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“For the OFFICIAL office of the Governor, and (what’s left of) Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign to attempt to smear Congressman Donalds like this is a disgrace – and it’s indicative of why DeSantis has plummeted faster than any presidential candidate in history,” Miller said.
The former president’s adviser also called Donalds a “conservative hero” and “leader” of the Republican Party who “calls it like he sees it” and will “tell you” if he “thinks something is BS,” adding that Trump is honored to have his endorsement.
