Trump Lashes Out at DeSantis for Being Disloyal

[babylonsister]

https://politicalwire.com/2018/09/18/trump-distances-himself-from-desantis/

Trump Lashes Out at DeSantis for Being Disloyal
September 18, 2018 at 4:33 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard

President Trump “is privately lashing out at one of his top allies, Ron DeSantis (R), angrily accusing the Florida Republican gubernatorial nominee of publicly betraying him,” Politico reports.

“The president has told close associates in recent days that he views DeSantis — who won his Aug. 28 GOP primary thanks to Trump’s strong support — as profoundly disloyal for distancing himself from the president’s assertion that the Hurricane Maria death toll was inflated by Democrats for political purposes.”

“Trump views the former congressman as politically indebted to him… because he believes DeSantis owes his electoral success to him.”

[Eugene]

1. Embrace Trump and you'll get a knife in your back sooner or later.

But this couldn't have happened to a nicer a**hole.

[flibbitygiblets]

2. Or a tiny hand to the puss...

Personally I'd prefer the knife

[Blue_true]

4. Yes, the knife would likely be cleaner, even if it had laid in a swarm of maggots. nt

[tableturner]

3. Trump is doing this to HELP DeSantis! It's PERFECT for him!

Given Trump's 80% approval rate among Republicans, DeSantis HAD to be seen as very close to Trump during the primary. Let's face it: Trump's support for DeSantis almost instantly changed that race.

Now.....he has to skate away a bit in an effort to get the votes of the same middle ground that determines almost all of these elections. He can't go too far, or he risks lowering the enthusiasm of his base.

This is perfect for him! He gets to go against Trump on an issue (only one!) especially important in his state, while hewing to the Trump line otherwise. Now, DeSantis looks like he is NOT a Trump puppet, and he gets to do it on behalf of Puerto Rico, in an effort to get a few more percentage points of the Hispanic vote, while looking not quite as radical as before to center/right Republicans and educated suburbanites.

Like I wrote above, this really IS perfect for him!