AND....we're off

[brooklynite]

Trump lashes out at DeSantis, says he regrets his endorsement of him

Former President Donald Trump is intensifying his attacks on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, calling him disloyal and saying that his political career would have been over had he not endorsed his ultimately successful 2018 campaign.

“He was dead as a dog, he was a dead politician. He would have been working perhaps for a law firm or doing something else,” Trump told a small group of reporters aboard his plane on Monday afternoon en route to Iowa, where he was to make an appearance that evening.


Asked if he regretted endorsing DeSantis for governor in 2018, Trump responded: “Yeah maybe, this guy was dead. He was dead as a doornail. … I might say that.”

Trump spent nearly 10 minutes going after DeSantis, who is widely viewed as his most formidable challenger for the Republican nomination. The Florida governor, who is expected to launch his campaign following the end of the state’s legislative session in May, has been embarking on a swing of early primary states to promote his newly released memoir — including in Iowa, where he appeared on Friday.

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/13/trump-lashes-out-desantis-regrets-endorsement-00086861

[FalloutShelter]

1. "Dead as a dog."

That settles it.

[SWBTATTReg]

2. Garbage in, garbage out. All I hear when tRUMP talks is white noise. Jibber jabber.

Thank God. tRUMP says anything, and my mind goes blank automatically.

[Achilleaze]

3. Hey Tiny D! Are you going to let the G.O.P. Draft Dodger say that shit?

C'mon Tiny D.

Show us how manly you are.

We are waiting.

[Butterflylady]

4. Let the fun begin

If desatan jumps in the gop primary presidential race that will be a circus we will all enjoy. They will tear each other apart to the point of no return, especially to the white house.

Get your popcorn ready.

[Joinfortmill]

5. DeSantis is dangerous. I'll say it again, DeSantis is dangerous.

[dameatball]

8. Agreed. I think he is being dismissed much too casually by a lot of people.

[SharonClark]

9. Yep, he runs Florida like a feudal lord.

[Hotler]

12. +1 .. If he takes the presidency think Augusto Pinochet. nt

[peggysue2]

15. You're right!

DeSantis is very dangerous, as is the idea that he's a normal, moderate Republican of old.

He's not.

He's a more disciplined, better educated version of Trump who has no red lines when it comes to grabbing power, weakening our institutions and destroying our Republic for his own opportunistic gains and glory.

Personally? He makes my skin crawl.

Think fascist.

[Takket]

6. I noticed Desantis has said nothing about drumpf

And I think that’s the smart move. Desantis must think drumpf is going down under indictments so there is no reason to alienate the MAGAts when he wants to be the fascist they all run to when drumpf goes down.

[Sympthsical]

10. Agreed. The mud is Trump's home turf

DeSantis knows he has nothing to gain by meeting him there. If he's lucky, Trump will unravel all by himself.

Plus it's a better look. People who feel confident and ahead won't engage, while those who are losing or desperate will flail like Trump often does. The more desperate Trump looks, the more DeSantis' stature improves.

[OneGrassRoot]

7. This is what media should focus on...

if they want drama and ratings. Trump v DeSantis and the fascism of MAGA.

[bigtree]

11. meh

...this is stalking horse theater.

The best campaign opportunities that these two have right now is in these horse race articles which gives free advertising to these republican cretins. It's a journalistic disgrace to be led around by these two self-promoting, anti-democratic cons.

If it's not a deliberate promotion of the republican race to elevate them, Politico is being played like a fiddle as these two ride the outrage news cycle, pretending there's more between them than the pinprick of daylight that exists between DeSantis' fascism and Trump's unbridled anti-Americanism.

[Emile]

13. I really don't care what that idiot is saying.

[peggysue2]

14. Let the games begin!

This is going to get so very ugly! I'm interested in seeing how DeSantis handles the incoming slights, insults and non-stop mockery. If I had to guess? Not terribly well.

These two men deserve one another.