Welp, this is certainly a surprise. Just kidding.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (Trump-Fla.) is calling on Republican heavyweights Ron DeSantis and Ted Cruz to hop aboard the Trump Express and support The Donald’s presidential run in 2024. Meanwhile, DeSantis has pulled ahead of Trump in two critical, early-voting states, which we’ll get to, later.
Surprising? Hardly — it’s Matt Gaetz.
As reported by BizPac Review, while warming up the crowd at the former president’s Trumpapalooza in Waco, Texas, on Saturday, the Trumpian man-child busted out the following irrational “rationality”:
Only Donald Trump could have rescued us from Hillary Clinton. Without Trump doing three rallies in the final week [prior to] the 2018 election in Florida, my governor today would probably be Andrew Gillum. How weird is that? And without Trump dragging Ted Cruz across the finish line, your senator would probably be beta-Beto.
So Ron DeSantis, Ted Cruz: patriots of the MAGA movement delivered for you in your time of need. Today, Ron DeSantis and Ted Cruz should endorse Donald Trump for president and stand with us as we were so proud to stand with them.
If Trump has a Mini-Me, that guy is Matt Gaetz.
JUST IN: Matt Gaetz calls on Ron Desantis and Ted Cruz to endorse Donald Trump..
Do you agree? YES or NO
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) March 25, 2023
Look, it’s one thing to fervently support a presidential candidate, but when a U.S. congressman damn near puts on a cheerleader’s uniform and grabs a couple of pom-poms, this far out from a presidential election, you gotta ask yourself: How wise is that? Particularly, if your hero doesn’t win the nomination? Are you going alienate your own governor, who might very well become the nominee?
Gaetz busted out the “experience” card, suggesting anyone but Trump would be an “amateur” in 2024:
This is no time for amateurs or impersonators or understudies. There is no success without victory and there is no Trumpism in 2024 without Donald J. Trump.
Hold the bus for a sec.
First, whatever “Trumpism” is (although I’m pretty sure there are at least two definitions), I’m unaware of polling that supports “Trumpism” over conservatism on “our side.” Second, Gaetz was right, in this respect: “There is no success without victory.” Exactly. Winning a nomination and winning a presidential election aren’t synonymous — and neither are “Trumpism” and conservatism.
Then, this:
This is Donald Trump’s party, and I’m a Donald Trump Republican.
Really? Said who? As I recall, Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, not to mention that a 2024 Republican Party standard-bearer is nearly 18 months away from being chosen. In the meantime, that’s what primary elections are for, Matt — cool your jets, bud.
“This is Donald Trump’s party, and I’m a Donald Trump Republican” – Congressman Matt Gaetz pic.twitter.com/hteFrQs1Ej
— Matt Couch (@RealMattCouch) March 26, 2023
Gaetz also took a cheap shot at recently-announced GOP presidential candidate, Nikki Haley — which was damn close to misogynistic:
Nikki Haley says that we must kick all of the world’s bullies with heels. But we cannot go kicking and screaming around the globe, starting new wars behind every Middle Eastern sand dune as Nikki Haley would have us do.
So, Nikki Haley can keep clicking her heels. What we know is that President Donald Trump will bring America’s enemies to heel.
You know what? Other than Sean Hannity, I’m unaware of anyone whose head is farther— oh, never mind.
So, what does recent polling suggest?
I’ve said it before, and I still believe it: Fixating on polls, particularly this far out from an election is a fool’s game, although some keyboard jockeys are addicted to the stuff. That said, in this case, when you have a guy like Matt Gaetz calling on Ron DeSantis, of all people, to fall in line behind Donald Trump, recent polls bear being taken into consideration — just to illustrate Gaetz’s foolishness.
As reported by Axios on Sunday, two new polls from a top Republican polling firm — provided exclusively to Axios — found DeSantis ahead of Trump in two critical, early-voting critical states —Iowa and New Hampshire — vs. the Florida governor’s faring in national surveys — which suggests (as always) that voters in early states tend to pay closer attention, sooner.
The surveys, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies from March 21 to 23 for an outside client (not a candidate or super PAC) found DeSantis leading Trump by eight points (45%-37%) in a head-to-head matchup in Iowa and tied with Trump (39%-39%) in New Hampshire.
National polling has shown Trump significantly ahead of DeSantis, but these polls suggest DeSantis is performing better in the early states where voters pay closer attention.
Moreover, DeSantis’ overall image is the strongest of all prospective Republican candidates in both states.
In Iowa, his favorability/unfavorability rating was a sterling 81%-11%. Trump’s was 74%-24%. Haley’s fav/unfav stood at 60%-19%, and former Vice President Mike Pence’s was 59%-35%.
In New Hampshire, DeSantis’ favorability rating was 77%-15%, while Trump’s was 69%-29%. Haley was at 54%-23%, while Pence’s rating was a middling 50%-43%.
Yet, shoot-from-the-hipster Matt Gaetz absurdly calls on the popular Florida governor to support Trump. If that makes sense to you, at this early stage, nothing will change your mind.
Meanwhile, I think I’ll just watch the silliness unfold, and continue to shake my head in amusement.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member