Former President Donald Trump said he will "handle" Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) if the governor chooses to run for president in 2024.
Trump shared the remark during an interview this week as he ramps up his comeback bid for the White House.
Trump insists he will 'handle' DeSantis should the Florida governor challenge him for 2024 GOP nomination https://t.co/0Talyx1J43
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 17, 2023
"I got him elected, pure and simple," Trump said during "The Water Pooler" podcast with host David Brody.
"So, now I hear he might want to run against me, so we'll handle that the way I handle things," he added.
Former President Trump said that "we'll handle that" if Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis challenges him for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.https://t.co/TW4tLC6jjK
— Axios (@axios) January 17, 2023
Trump also spoke out against evangelical leaders who have not endorsed him in his 2024 bid after backing him in previous campaigns.
"There's great disloyalty is the world of politics, and that's a sign of disloyalty," Trump said.
"Because nobody — as you know better than anybody because you do such a great job — nobody has ever done more for right-to-life than Donald Trump," he added.
The remarks come as a growing number of voices are calling for DeSantis to pursue the GOP nomination. DeSantis has so far refused to answer whether he intends to run.
Instead, DeSantis was recently sworn in after winning reelection in November. His "freedom state" policies led to strong Republican victories in his state that many hope will be a model nationwide.
Trump clearly doesn't want DeSantis or other candidates to oppose him, clearly stating he will deal with those who do. The message could signal a strong negative campaign against DeSantis or other Republicans who oppose the former president in the months ahead as the party seeks its next presidential nominee.
Source: Fox News
