Chip Roy is one of just three members of Congress to endorse Ron DeSantis for President, but he’s still upbeat about the Governor’s 2024 path.
The Texas Congressman told Fox & Friends viewers that he stood by the Governor as part of a “new generation” of leadership and an alternative to “baby boomer” Donald Trump and other old politicians.
Roy noted Trump was not his first choice the first time he ran.
“I was a strong supporter of Sen. Ted Cruz in 2016 in the Primary. I got behind President Trump once we chose him as the nominee on May 3 of that year,” Roy said. “Well, this time, I’m supporting Ron DeSantis.”
Roy did add that he would “support the Republican nominee no matter what,” and that he stands behind the work Trump did during his first term.
“I’m a strong supporter of the America First agenda,” Roy said.
“But look, I put out in my statement, I think it’s time to have someone who’s not a baby boomer. Somebody who can serve for two terms that we know we can get behind, to root out all the corruption in this town and beat the swamp that President Trump so ably started when he came in in 2016.”
Roy pivoted to talking points familiar to those following the topline case for the Governor.
“Gov. DeSantis has an enormously successful record and he just won re-election by a million and a half votes. He won 62% of Hispanic voters, 50% of single females. They have massive job growth, great economy. He’s taken on the education establishment, he’s taken on the corporate establishment with Disney,” Roy said.
“I just think it’s time we have someone that we can take a new generation into town and, we can kind of build on what President Trump started,” Roy added. “And Gov. DeSantis is a great guy to get behind to do that.”
Roy endorsed DeSantis on March 15, in what was the first congressional endorsement for the Governor. Both men were members of the right-leaning Freedom Caucus, and at that time Roy made the case that youth must be served.
“The next President of the United States must be a vibrant and energetic leader with the faith, vision, and courage to chart a new course,” Roy wrote to supporters.
Roy’s support notwithstanding, DeSantis isn’t making the sale in the Lone Star State yet, at least according to recent polling of Texas Republicans.
A survey conducted between March 30 and April 2 by CWS Research and commissioned by the Defend Texas Liberty PAC finds the former President is supported by 52% of those surveyed, with more than double the support of the Florida Governor, who had just 20% backing.
That survey, conducted as Trump’s 34-count federal indictment was finalized, is the latest CWS Research poll showing DeSantis losing ground over previous months against Trump. A survey conducted between Feb. 28 and March 2 found 43% of the 867 respondents backing Trump, with DeSantis 16 points behind.
Trump recently held a rally in the West Texas town of Waco, where the former President devoted part of the speech to denunciations of “Ron DeSanctimonious.”
In the span of five minutes, Trump touched on various themes, making the case that the Florida Governor, a runner-up to Trump in most polling, doesn’t measure up. He mentioned DeSantis’ previous positions on senior citizen entitlements, recounted the story of the brokered 2018 endorsement, and trashed DeSantis’ performance as Florida Governor.
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