Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) pointed out obstacles former President Donald Trump has to overcome in the remainder of the 2024 election cycle just days after suspending his campaign and endorsing Trump.
He told conservative radio host Steve Deace he sees a “huge warning sign for Republicans” in his first interview since ending his presidential bid.
“When I have people come up to me who voted for Reagan in ’76 and have been conservative their whole life say that they don’t want to vote for Trump again, that’s a problem,” he explained.
Trump will need to solve this problem if he wants to win, according to the governor.
“I think there’s an enthusiasm problem overall, and then I also just think there are some voters that have checked out at this point that you got to find a way to get them back,” he added.
Despite endorsing Trump upon his exit from the 2024 race, DeSantis was not one of the former competitors to stump for him in New Hampshire. He did not join the former president at any events following his departure, heading back to his duties in Florida instead.
He also killed the hopes of a proposed Florida bill this week that would have allowed the use of up to $5 million in taxpayer funds to pay for Trump’s legal fees. In response to an article noting some Republicans were in support of the measure, DeSantis wrote on X, “But not the Florida Republican who wields the veto pen.”
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Soon after, state Sen. Ileana Garcia announced her plan to withdraw the bill.
Trump told reporters in New Hampshire on Tuesday he is “a very forgiving person” when asked about the feud between him and DeSantis during the campaign. He further said he couldn’t comment on the potential for DeSantis to be considered as a running mate.