WACO, Texas — Tammy Condra has very robust views about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his potential run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
“DeSantis won’t ever win. DeSantis is a loser,” the 56-year-old, self-described “stay-at-home goddess” from Fredericksburg, Texas, mentioned throughout a rally for former President Donald Trump right here Saturday. “He’s deep state.”
Like most voters right here, lots of whom drove lengthy distances to face for a number of hours beneath the new solar on a regional airport tarmac, Condra is dedicated to seeing Trump win again the White Home.
However her emotions about DeSantis are hardly common among the many MAGA set, which can assist clarify why Trump typically reserves his most private criticism of the Florida governor for extra non-public settings.
From a stage at one finish of the tarmac, Trump described a way of betrayal over DeSantis, his onetime acolyte, contemplating a bid for the nomination. He jabbed DeSantis for having as soon as embraced cuts to Medicare and Social Safety, for Florida’s Covid-19 dying fee and for embellishing his personal efficacy as governor.
“Florida has been tremendously profitable for a few years, lengthy earlier than this man grew to become governor,” Trump mentioned. “Florida has been profitable for many years.”
However the critiques of DeSantis’ file proved tame compared to the non-public assaults Trump delivered as he spoke with a handful of reporters on his jet after the rally. “He’s acquired no character,” Trump mentioned, musing that DeSantis could be working in a cigar store if not for Trump’s endorsement of his marketing campaign at a vital second in 2018.
The calibrations seem to mirror a political problem that grew to become apparent in interviews with greater than a dozen rally individuals: lots of his personal supporters see DeSantis as the subsequent nice hope for the GOP — even when they imagine a marketing campaign towards Trump is quixotic.
“DeSantis sooner or later? one hundred pc,” mentioned Mike McCown, a home-loan originator from Grand Prairie. “I might vote for him if he received the nomination, however he’s not going to win the nomination. Timing is every little thing, and DeSantis’ time will likely be right here in 5 years.”
Ron Kearney, who lives about 100 miles west of Waco, mentioned he’s with Trump proper now however will give DeSantis a glance.
“There’s at all times wiggle room. I might change my thoughts, completely,” Kearney mentioned. “I may very well be open to DeSantis. I like what he is doing down there.”
Others mentioned DeSantis might completely injury himself by working towards Trump.
“That may be the largest mistake of his profession,” mentioned Michelle Bordelon, who traveled an hour to the rally. “He would positively be committing political suicide if he runs proper now.”
The vary of views on DeSantis amongst Trump’s most ardent backers — from present goat to future GOAT — counsel there may be nonetheless room for each males to outline one another at this early stage within the contest.
With out having entered the race, DeSantis already has distinguished himself in nationwide and state-by-state polling as essentially the most critical risk to Trump. And but the previous president, who received the nomination in 2016 and 2020, constantly ranks first in nationwide surveys in a head-to-heat matchup and one together with different contenders.
The prospect that Trump may very well be indicted at any time by Manhattan District Legal professional Alvin Bragg or different prosecutors doesn’t appear to faze his supporters in any respect. A number of mentioned it made no distinction of their evaluations of Trump’s viability or of DeSantis as a potential nominee.
They universally dismissed the authorized challenges dealing with Trump — potential indictments in Manhattan, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. — with “b” phrases, corresponding to “bogus” and “baloney.” From the stage, Trump used a distinct one — “bull—-” — to explain the investigations.
Tammy Condra’s husband, Vince, mentioned he’ll be with Trump even when the previous president is charged, convicted and imprisoned.
“I might vote for him from jail,” Vince Condra, 59, mentioned.
