Posted originally on the CTH on November 4, 2023 | Sundance
The Florida DeSantis operation is based on political leverage to punish any GOP member who does not support the Florida governor. As noted throughout his campaign, the people in control of the DeSantis operation have a vicious and vindictive GOPe streak in alignment with the character of their candidate.
It was reported earlier today [link], in advance of the GOP “Freedom Festival” convention, that seven Florida lawmakers were going to endorse President Donald Trump. Five of those endorsements are retractions from prior support of Ron DeSantis. We can all be certain the attacks against Trump supporters by the DeSantis campaign are going to get much more vicious as the Iowa primary date gets closer.
FLORIDA – Seven more Republican Florida legislators are endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential campaign – including five defections from Ron DeSantis – underscoring the former president’s momentum and the subtle erosion of the governor’s influence in their home state.
The seven endorsements, unveiled Saturday at the Florida’s GOP’s “Freedom Summit” and shared first with The Messenger, follow Florida Sen. Rick Scott’s decision Thursday to back Trump and they come 10 days after one of DeSantis’s former top allies in the Florida Legislature, Rep. Randy Fine, defected to Trump.
[…] State Rep. Jessica Baker, who switched her endorsement from the governor to Trump, indicated she was following her constituents’ interests.
“As instability grows around the world and economic uncertainty takes root here at home, folks across my district tell me constantly they want to see President Donald Trump back in the White House and Gov. Ron DeSantis back on the job here in Florida, finishing the work he promised to do less than a year ago,” Baker said in a written statement.
State Sen. Debbie Mayfield, who also switched her support from the governor to Trump, praised the former president’s leadership in uncertain times.
“It’s time to unite our party behind Donald Trump, prepare for the year ahead and work together to prevent another four years of Joe Biden’s disastrous policies from destroying this nation that we all love so dearly,” she said.
Also leaving DeSantis for Trump: state Representatives Webster Barnaby, Alina Garcia and Kevin Steele. State Representatives Mike Beltran and David Borrero, who had been neutral in the race, joined them Saturday in endorsing Trump. Trump’s longtime ally, state Sen. Joe Gruters, has been with Trump since 2016 and Trump also counts the support of Senators Ileana Garcia and Ana Maria Rodriguez as well as Representatives Juan Porras and Fine. (read more)
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — In the state where Gov. Ron DeSantis ranks the most powerful GOP official, he faced a homecoming at a Republican Party gathering on Saturday that was upstaged by an effusive reception for 2024 presidential rival Donald Trump.
Many audience members donned Trump-themed apparel and the former president held the most prominent speaking spot at the event billed as the “Freedom Summit” in the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center. And seven Florida state lawmakers are expected to endorse Trump at the event, including five who had previously endorsed DeSantis, according to a person familiar with their plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe decisions that had not been announced publicly. The Messenger first reported the news of the endorsements.
[…] While home-state endorsements typically have little bearing on the outcome in early nominating contests, the moves were seen in Republican circles Saturday as another blow to DeSantis’s campaign. Trump, who spends the winter months at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, has sought to cultivate relationships with some local Republicans as he seeks the presidency.
Speaking to reporters after the news of the defectors broke, DeSantis dismissed the endorsements as politics as usual. And his campaign pointed out that DeSantis still outpaced Trump in state legislative endorsements in Iowa and New Hampshire and still holds a far greater number of endorsements in Florida. (more)
In the first loser race, the problem for Ron DeSantis is not Donald Trump. The problem for Ron DeSantis is that Nikki Haley has passed him as the favorite candidate of the “non-Trump” donors.
At the request of the Wall Street donors who control the club mechanisms, the RNC is structuring the debate qualification rules to narrow the field.
(Politico) Republican presidential primary contenders will have to meet higher polling and donor thresholds to qualify for the fourth debate in the race, the RNC said on Friday.
To qualify for the fourth debate, scheduled to take place on Dec. 6 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., candidates will need to poll at least 6 percent support in either two national polls or in one national poll and two separate early state polls — a slight increase from the 4 percent marker previously needed to qualify.
The presidential hopefuls will also need to pick up 80,000 unique donors, a tick upward from the 70,000 needed to qualify for the third contest.
At least four candidates will take the third debate stage next Wednesday in Miami: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
But the race’s far-and-away frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, will skip the event — and he will almost certainly not attend the fourth debate as well. Trump’s campaign has repeatedly called for an end to the events given his sustained polling lead.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said he has qualified for the third debate, but the RNC has yet to confirm to POLITICO whether he has fully met the polling criteria. (read more)
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