Former President Donald Trump vowed to protect seniors from “establishment” Republicans if returned to the White House, attacking a top would-be rival on Social Security and Medicare in his first trip to Iowa of the 2024 campaign.
Trump’s focus on entitlements suggests he believes his populist message lends him an edge over the Republican hopefuls weighing their prospects for the nomination.
In Davenport, Trump likened Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) to the failed GOP 2008 presidential nominee, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), whom he maligned as a member of “the Paul Ryan Republican establishment,” leaning into a distinction that helped propel the former leader to victory in 2016.
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While in Congress, DeSantis “wanted to decimate” Social Security, “severely” cut Medicare spending, and lift the retirement age to 70 years old, Trump said on Monday, noting, “Ron was a disciple of Paul Ryan [who] would constantly vote against entitlements.”
Trump added, “You remember … Democrats used that ‘wheelchair over the cliff’ commercial? Very effective. That was about him.”
It’s also a target of President Joe Biden, whose White House has sought to drive a wedge between Republicans in negotiations over the debt ceiling.
Trump has stepped up his attacks on the field of potential GOP rivals, singling out DeSantis in particular. Unmentioned in Trump’s speech was Republican 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley, a U.N. ambassador during the Trump administration and former South Carolina governor who recently called for changing the retirement age for people in their 20s.
Trump’s jabs also come as polls show DeSantis consolidating a groundswell of support with Republican voters. While Trump remains the favorite, the Florida governor polls consistently as Trump’s top rival in the 2024 Republican primary.
DeSantis is said to be carefully weighing a White House bid but has not made an announcement. A slew of appearances in early nominating states as the governor promotes his book have added to the speculation. He was in Iowa and Nevada over the weekend and will travel to New Hampshire next month.
Speaking to reporters aboard his private plane, Trump swiped at DeSantis and credited himself for securing the Florida governor’s victory in 2018, calling him disloyal.
“He was dead as a dog. He was a dead politician. He would have been working perhaps for a law firm or doing something else,” Trump told reporters while traveling to Iowa on Monday, according to Politico. Asked if he regretted his endorsement, Trump responded, “Yeah, maybe. This guy was dead. He was dead as a doornail. … I might say that.”
Trump acknowledged another potential competitor orbiting the primary contest, Mike Pence, his former vice president, who rebuked his former running mate over the weekend over Jan. 6.
“As far as Mike, I heard his statement. And I guess he figured that being nice is not working because he’s at 3 in the polls. So he figured he might as well not be nice any longer,” Trump said.
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Trump has drawn battle lines in the early nominating contest by reviving a message on trade and China that helped secure his victory in 2016.
DeSantis has brushed off Trump’s attacks in recent weeks, equating them to “background noise.”
