Former President Donald Trump compared Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign to a hurt animal falling to earth while speaking to a GOP crowd in Central Florida.
“We hit him hard,” Trump said, “and now he’s like a wounded bird in the sky.”
As Trump gave an evening speech to close the Florida Freedom Summit, he largely dismissed the rest of the entire Republican field in 2024. He called it stupid to consider ever debating his GOP opponents.
Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke earlier in the day, and while tossing some subtle barbs at Trump, he never attacked his opponent for the 2024 nomination by name.
Trump honored no such niceties. He repeatedly called the Florida Governor “Ron DeSanctimonious,” former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley “bird brain” and praised a crowd for booing both former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
His harshest criticism went to Democratic President Joe Biden, and he repeated long debunked accusations that the 2020 Presidential Election was “rigged” and “stolen.”
“Bad things happened,” Trump said. “We’re dealing with cheating dogs.”
While the harshest words were reserved for his Democratic opponent, Trump made several pointed gestures clearly intended to undermine DeSantis in his home state. He brought on stage several Florida state lawmakers endorsing him over the Governor, including six who announced support for Trump Saturday after previously endorsing DeSantis.
State Sen. Debbie Mayfield and state Reps. Jessica Baker, Webster Barnaby, Alina Garcia, Paula Stark and Kevin Steele, all former DeSantis endorsers, were embraced on stage by Trump. So too were state Reps. Mike Beltran and David Borrero, who announced support Saturday as well. He also brought out some prior endorsers like state Sen. Ileana Garcia and state Reps. Randy Fine and Juan Porras.
As Trump signed paperwork to qualify for the Republican Presidential Primary next year, Republican Party of Florida Chair Christian Ziegler sat beside him, though he had not done the same with DeSantis earlier in the day. And Trump gave a speech lasting longer than 80 minutes, while DeSantis spoke for under a half hour.
Trump hit a range of policy positions over the course of his lengthy speech. That included dismissing the electric vehicle movement as a gift to China while combustible engines rely on U.S. oil. He also blamed Biden for a series of threats in the world, from the war in Ukraine to terrorist attacks in Israel.
“I think he wants our country to fail,” Trump said of Biden. “I really believe they must, the group that is actually running things.”
He said a host of world leaders held greater respect for Trump and the United States than they feel for Biden. He suggested many heads of state openly mock Biden.
“I got to know many of the Presidents, the Prime Ministers, the dictators, the non-dictators, the people that get elected legally and the people that get elected illegally. I have known every one of them,” Trump said.
Describing many as “very smart” — an assessment sure to irritate those opposed to leaders elected illegally — Trump said the strength projected during his term in office had left the entire world in a precarious place.
“I am the only one who will prevent World War III, because we are very close,” Trump said. “This won’t be like the First World War or the Second World War. This will be total obliteration.”
He also attacked handling of the border, an issue Trump hammered on since his first campaign for President in 2016. He suggested Biden had allowed weaker border security than was in place under former President Barack Obama.
“History says when you see somebody with tattoos all over their face and bad phrases like ‘Destroy the USA,’ like, all sorts of bad things on their face and forehead, history says it’s not going to work out too well,” Trump said.
The former President also made the case for further election reforms. He slammed the entire practice of mail-in votes. That stood in juxtaposition to a “Bank Your Vote” campaign promoted at the summit by the Republican National Committee with a video featuring many Florida leaders from U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
Trump called for specific reforms that could dramatically impact how political consultants, including Republicans, rally votes for elections up and down the ballot.
“We should have all paper ballots, voter ID and same day voting,” Trump said.
He also asserted the Republicans should stop debates and move on to the General Election, as he’s leading polls consistently by massive double-digit margins.
“It is time for the Republican establishment to stop wasting time and money trying to push weak RINOs and Never Trumpers that nobody wants on the ballot,” he said.
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