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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds wrapped up a week touring the Hawkeye State and speaking with voters, on Sunday, capping off the trip with a killer (campaign) video posted on Twitter by DeSantis. But the caption was perhaps the most interesting part of all (emphasis mine).
THANK YOU, IOWA!
Together, Iowa and Florida are leading the way for a freer and safer nation…
…And we’re just getting started.
“And we’re just getting started.” I wonder what the popular Florida governor meant by that? [winking emoji]
THANK YOU, IOWA!
Together, Iowa and Florida are leading the way for a freer and safer nation…
…And we’re just getting started. pic.twitter.com/buAwJTMIRl
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantisFL) March 12, 2023
Yes, what could all of this possibly mean? [sarc]
As I reported on Friday, former Trump administration official Ken Cuccinelli is strongly advocating for DeSantis to mount a White House run and is also working to build a base of early key supporters to help make that potential presidential run a success. Cuccinelli on Thursday announced the launch of the Never Back Down PAC to achieve those objectives.
But here’s the thing. Reports suggest DeSantis has already made his decision about 2024.
The Washington Post reported on Thursday that DeSantis has said privately he intends to run, according to two people familiar with his comments. The Never Back Down Super Pac is likely to serve as an approved outside spending vehicle for a DeSantis run, according to three people familiar with the planning. DeSantis has said there’s no caveat to whether he’ll run — he’s in. His announcement is expected to come in early summer.
Anyway, the left just can’t deal. Here are just two of my favorite meltdowns:
— Fievel13🌈🌊 (@Fievel131) March 12, 2023
With this one, we get a twofer, brimming with hilarious bitterness:
— CAMPBIZZLE (@happycrazytown) March 12, 2023
I almost forgot. Have I mentioned the (roughly) 800-pound gorilla in the room?
None of this has set well at all with former president Donald Trump, of course, who began to go after DeSantis long before any of the recent developments became public. As I reported in January, Trump called the very notion of DeSantis seeking the Republican nomination in 2024 “very disloyal,” and has resorted to calling the governor “Ron DeSanctimonious” — though Trump denies testing out “Meatball Ron” with members on his inner circle.
Trump’s obsession with DeSantis reached a crescendo on Friday night when he a “yuuge” threw a hissy fit over multiple reports that DeSantis’s new book, “The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Survival,” far outpaced the sales of books from Trump, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton at the same stage in their respective political careers. In Trump’s case, the comparison was to his 2015 book, “Great Again: How to Fix Our Crippled America.”
Anyway, the Donald hopped on Truth Social Friday night to accuse DeSantis of inflating sales numbers (which authors don’t calculate in the first place) and wrongly accused media outlets of referring to an upcoming Trump book yet to be released.
One can only imagine Trump’s state of mind by the time the Republican primary debates roll around.
Meanwhile, Ron DeSantis is “just getting started.”
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