Donald Trump is eviscerating what some might call the “Florida Blueprint,” spotlighting the state’s subpar outcomes in a variety of quality-of-life metrics.
The former President lobbed yet another attack on Gov. Ron DeSantis, working some new material into the act. Among the new hits: devastating condemnations of the state writ large and a few of its major cities.
“In Education, Florida ranks among the worst in the Country and on crime statistics, Florida ranked Third Worst in Murder, Third Worst in Rape, and Third Worst in Aggravated Assault. For 2022, Jacksonville was ranked as one of the Top 25 Major Crime Cities in the Country, with Tampa and Orlando not doing much better,” Trump contended.
“On Education, Florida ranks #39 in Health & Safety in the Country, #50 in Affordability, and #30 in Education & Childcare, HARDLY GREATNESS THERE! The fact is, Ron is an average Governor, but the best by far in the Country in one category, Public Relations, where he easily ranks Number One — But it is all a Mirage, just look at the facts and figures, they don’t lie — And we don’t want Ron as our President!”
Trump also offered more familiar material contending DeSantis didn’t improve Florida and, contrary to his COVID-19 narrative, he actually participated in “lockdown” policies, but still managed one of the worst records against the “China Virus” of any Governor.
“Florida has been successful for many years, long before I put Ron there — It’s amazing what Ocean and Sunshine will do! Surprise, Ron was a big Lockdown Governor on the China Virus, sealing all beaches and everything else for an extended period of time, was Third Worst in the Nation for COVID-19 Deaths (losing 86,294 People), Third Worst for Total Number of Cases, at 7,516,906,” Trump asserted.
“Other Republican Governors did MUCH BETTER than Ron and, because I allowed them this ‘freedom,’ never closed their States. Remember, I left that decision up to the Governors! For COVID Death Rates Per State, Ron, as Governor of Florida, did worse than New York.”
The statement led off with Trump playing more familiar themes, meanwhile, as he continues to punch back in anticipation of a friendly Piers Morgan interview of the Governor, set to air Thursday.
“Now that Ron DeSanctimonious is finally admitting he’s in the Race by beginning to fight back, and now that his Polls have crashed so he has no other choice, let me explain the facts. He is, for a Republican, an average Governor, he got 1.2 million less Votes in Florida than me, he fought for massive cuts in Social Security and Medicare, and wanted Social Security minimum age to be raised to 70-years-old, or more. He is a disciple of Paul Ryan, and did whatever Ryan told him to do.”
DeSantis has recanted his support for adjusting the senior citizen entitlement programs, but it remains to be seen how he will answer Trump’s depiction of Florida as a dystopian hellscape.
The former President is enjoying a resurgence in national polling, and at least one Florida survey comports with that trend. A new survey of 443 Republican Florida voters from Emerson College shows the former President up 3 points over the Florida Governor. Trump took 47% of those surveyed, with DeSantis taking 44%. No other candidate even got 5% support.
The Emerson College poll shows a radically different result from another recent poll of the race. The Florida Governor has 52% support in the University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab survey of the race, 25 points ahead of Trump. Meanwhile, a January survey by Suffolk University and USA Today found Trump was the choice of 47% of those surveyed, while DeSantis was preferred by 40%.
Though polls seem to vary, Trump’s attacks on DeSantis are increasingly consistent, adding pressure on the Governor to begin campaigning in earnest before Sine Die.
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