In the world of politics, it’s no secret that tensions can run high, even between members of the same party. As the 2024 presidential election fast approaches, Donald Trump’s feud with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has become a hot story in the media as it foreshadows an inevitable civil war in the Republican Party.
Most Republicans are aware of the so-called 11th commandment, which was popularized by Ronald Reagan in the 1960s: “Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.” However, Donald Trump has never abided by this rule, as evidenced by his behavior during his 2016 presidential campaign and every day since. Trump’s approach to politics is characterized by combativeness and self-serving behavior, which often leads to the breakdown of once-productive alliances.
If I had the chance to sit down with President Trump, I would strongly urge him to reconsider his stance on DeSantis as I believe it could ultimately harm the GOP’s chances of reclaiming the White House.
Trump and DeSantis are longtime allies, whose relationship has eroded due to DeSantis’s growing popularity, which threatens Trump’s plans to return to the White House. DeSantis has yet to declare his candidacy officially, yet he’s been the target of a barrage of political and personal attacks from Trump. For example, despite DeSantis being one of the nation’s more popular governors who just won reelection in a landslide, Trump called him an “average governor,” and dismissed DeSantis’s record.
“He is, for a Republican, an average Governor, he got 1.2 million less Votes in Florida than me,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday. “Florida has been successful for many years, long before I put Ron there—It’s amazing what Ocean and Sunshine will do!”
Trump’s attacks continued on Thursday, with him calling DeSantis “the most overrated politician” in America.
“His Numbers on COVID, Crime, and Education are terrible, but nobody knows it—Now they do,” Trump claimed in a post on Truth Social. “He shouldn’t even be running!”
Related: Are You Ready for the Trump vs. DeSantis Showdown?
Trump has also shown that he’s not above resorting to ridiculous lowbrow attacks either. Last week, he insinuated that DeSantis might be homosexual and that he could be the target of false accusations in the near future.
“Ron DeSanctimonious will probably find out about FALSE ACCUSATIONS & FAKE STORIES sometime in the future, as he gets older, wiser, and better known, when he’s unfairly and illegally attacked by a woman, even classmates that are ‘underage’ (or possibly a man!),” he wrote. “I’m sure he will want to fight these misfits just like I do!”
Attacks like this are gross and petty and only help the Democrats. It is rather puzzling that, despite routinely touting his commanding lead in the GOP primary polls, Trump is directing his attacks towards DeSantis instead of focusing on Joe Biden, who still insists he’s running in 2024. Trump should concentrate on highlighting the disaster that Biden and the Democrats have created in a short time rather than try to destroy DeSantis, who is the future of the Republican Party.
DeSantis is not the enemy.
Trump’s current actions could potentially benefit the Democrats in 2024 more than they would help his own cause. If Trump is confident in his lead in the GOP primary, it would be more prudent for him to keep his eyes fixed on the real target — Joe Biden — and leave his Republican rivals to sort themselves out.
By focusing on DeSantis, Trump diverts attention away from the current administration’s failures and shifts the focus back to infighting within the Republican Party, which helps Biden and the Democrats avoid scrutiny over their failed policies. Republicans need to present a united front against the Democrats if we’re going to win in 2024.
