Former President Donald Trump has been publicly attacking Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for being the “embodiment of the political establishment” and a war hawk on Ukraine. But is Trump’s criticism warranted? Let’s examine the facts and see if there is any truth to his accusations.
DeSantis and the Political Establishment
When it comes to DeSantis’ association with the political establishment, there is some evidence to suggest that he does indeed have close ties with many prominent politicians in Florida. For example, former Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran has been one of DeSantis’ closest allies since he was elected governor in 2018. The two worked together on a number of initiatives, including legislation to expand school choice and tax cuts for businesses. Additionally, DeSantis has also received support from other high-profile Republicans such as former U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“It does not take bold leadership to oppose critical race theory in 2023. Donald Trump himself issued an executive order banning critical race theory in the federal government … It doesn’t show that you’re anti establishment at all to take an issue that every Republican agrees on,” the source said.
“President Trump is calling Ron DeSantis an establishment candidate because he is getting establishment support. Fox News is the Republican establishment. Fox News is all in on Ron. The donor class is all in on Ron. Jeb Bush and Karl Rove are boosting Ron. He is getting support from all corners of the party that Trump defeated in 2016. He will defeat them again,” the Republican operative said.
“Trump stands out as the least hawkish Republican on Ukraine and he will focus on exposing Ron as being out of step with many Republican voters on this issue,” the operative said. “Has Ron come out and said he wants an end to military aid in Ukraine and a peace deal? No. He has simply called for more blank checks. That’s the same rhetoric as Mike Pompeo and Nikki Haley.”
