We're winning big, big, big
in the Republican Party
for the nomination
like nobody's ever seen before.
Let's say there it is.
Trump at 71, Ron De Sanctimoniou
at 10%.
We're now in the one strong rela
between the former president
DeSantis from CNN's Randi Kaye.
I'm thrilled to introduce
the next governor of Florida,
a great gentleman.
Ron DeSantis, when Ron DeSantis
for governor of Florida
and was locked in a tough GOP pr
it was Donald Trump who gave him
I endorsed Ron, and after I endo
he took off like a rocket ship.
After that endorsement,
DeSantis really leaned in
to Trump support Build the Wall.
He's teaching Madison to talk.
Make America Great Again.
DeSantis went on to win the 2018
by 20 points.
I'd like to thank our president
for standing by me
their alliance was at times very
DeSantis visited Trump
at the White House in Mar
a Lago in April last year.
Trump even suggested
DeSantis
could be his running mate in 202
Still, somewhere along the way,
their relationship seemed to sou
And now,
with Trump
apparently accelerating his plan
for another presidential run.
Two people who recently spoke to
told CNN
the former
president has complained about D
indicating he was ungrateful.
Trump still believes
he's responsible
for DeSantis being elected
governor here in Florida in 2018
At the core
of Trump's ire seems to be DeSan
growing popularity
and his refusal since last year
to say he won't run against Trum
Now they want a catch.
He also was irked by a DeSantis
endorsing a Republican Senate
candidate in Colorado
who vowed to actively campaign
against another Trump presidenti
Hello, this is Florida Governor
Ron DeSantis.
America needs strong leadership
and desperately.
That's why I'm endorsing Joe O'D
For U.S. Senate.
Trump called the endorsement
a big mistake on his truth
social platform.
Three days later, Trump announce
to rally in Florida
with Senator Marco Rubio.
A source told CNN
DeSantis was not invited.
There was also this moment
that DeSantis debate
with his Democratic opponent,
Charlie Crist.
Yes or no, Ron,
will you serve a full four year
if you're reelected governor of
It's not a tough question.
It's a fair question.
He won't tell you.
DeSantis sidestepped that questi
about his potential 20, 24 ambit
Trump then reposted a video
in which former
Fox News host Megyn Kelly said t
You really think a hardcore MAGA
is going to abandon Trump for De
They're not.
Still,
DeSantis has made inroads
with some of the wealthiest
Republican donors
who also helped
finance Trump's campaigns.
The Florida governor
also has become a regular on Fox
where he was asked
about a possible White House run
If he runs, do you run?
How do you make that decision?
Nice try, man.
We're here to target having fun
it's all good.
When Randi Kaye, CNN, West Palm
Beach, Florida Perspectives.
Political analyst
Maggie
Haberman is senior
political correspondent
for The New York Times
and author of the new bestsellin
book of great book,
Confidence Man,
the Making of Donald Trump
and the Breaking of America.
Once again, CNN political commen
Lucifer Griffin, who served as d
for strategic communications
under the former president.
Maggie, you wrote in in your new
that the former president
has kind of been privately
calling DeSantis
a variety of nicknames
or names for months.
Do you think he was
speaking off the cuff here or he
he thought this out?
I think this may have been a Rog
reference.
This had been workshopped over
the last couple of weeks by Trum
because it worked.
He tests these things.
Elisa worked in that White House
She knows how this works.
He had been trying this out
on people over the last couple o
And Roger
Stone actually posted on Truth S
using this nickname.
I think it was like
eight days ago, nine days ago.
So, I mean,
we can do the math
from there on how contemporary,
how extemporaneous this was
and how out of nowhere this was.
But Trump has been thinking
about DeSantis for a very long t
And I think he felt the need
to love some shot ahead of Tuesd
because DeSantis,
if the polling is right,
is going to win handily
in his reelection bid.
And Trump wants to keep people
in the Republican Party
and in the MAGA world from gravi
toward DeSantis.
That's why he did it in
the Randi's report.
You heard about, you know,
their relationship was there.
Was it completely transactional?
Always, for the most part in it.
And she's right, by the way,
that dissent is largely
does his governorship to former
President Trump.
Most Floridians
thought Adam Putnam was the
he was kind of the establishment
for governor.
The Trump
boost brought DeSantis to where
and was able to win.
I've known him since
he was in the House and,
well, a very smart man, highly e
He was kind of a backbench House
who seemed like a long shot
to be governor.
But with the Trump is
able to get elected.
And there is a sense
I'm actually with Megyn Kelly on
Like within Republican circles,
elected Republicans
would love it to be candidate
Ron DeSantis he's,
you know,
Trump with not as much of the bl
less drama, more serious.
But the MAGA base is always goin
with Trump.
I mean, that it's
just the notion that they would
they would go with him
when so many of them feel like
Trump was denied
the last election,
which of course he wasn't,
but they think it was stolen fro
So it's I expected
this was going to come at some t
I think the hits are going to ke
from Mar a Lago against the gove
And I don't think that, you know
some pushback from elected
Republicans is going to do much
to stop it. Maggie, you agree wi
I do agree with that.
And I also think another thing
we don't know about Ron DeSantis
for all of the wish, casting
from other elected Republicans
who don't like Trump,
a lot of them senators
or from the donor class,
which really does not like Trump
at this point, is
we don't know how to Sanchez
is going to do on a national sta
There's just no clue about it so
And he has had some really surpr
I wouldn't call them stumbles,
but they've been kind of
cringe worthy moments.
That ad that he put out with him
in a fighter jet and the jacket.
And there are
there are things that he has tak
that,
you know, novice candidates
do on the national stage
that looks strange.
And we'll see how he does after
But it's not a
sure bet
that he's going to be able
to take Trump on.
And he's really
the only person who at the momen
seen as existing in Trump's lane
Trump is willing to do and say t
that no other candidate
is willing to say.
And I'm not sure DeSantis is eit
Right.
You're never going to doubt Trum
Trump
DeSantis is going to go about
as far as you can,
but he still has a backstop
and I think has a moral compass
that keeps him from going too fa
And at the end of the day,
to Maggie's point,
there's a lot to like about DeSa
if you're a Republican,
but there's a lot of unknowns.
He does not have
a sophisticated political operat
the way that other
potential candidates do.
I would argue
Mike Pence has a much more sophi
and political operation,
and he's known for being very we
on retail politics,
which has always been
a big part of running.
The only person who can get away
with not being good at that is T
because he's got 100% name I.D.
He's a massive celebrity.
So I think he I think he's overh
I think he's peaking very early
and the hits are going to keep c
It was it's, you know,
did that Trump didn't,
you know, continue with the name
polling at the Florida rally?
Well, I think that he was aware
that was a bridge too far.
I think the going into the state
and at a rally that he decided t
without DeSantis
being invited,
you know, Trump's
folks say, well, DeSantis didn't
but to go into the state
and insult the guy
and give the Christie team
something to use
that they can put on video
in a different way,
as opposed to Trump
just saying at a rally
I think even Trump realizes that
he shouldn't touch.
Do you think he really wants
to be president again?
Does he want to
or is I mean, is it just wanting
part of the conversation
and the focus of attention
and not being out of the loop?
And by the way,
I think he didn't
want to get booed in Florida.
And I think there's a chance
that he would get some boos.
And that's a really good
I'm not sure that he misses gove
I'm not sure he misses
holding Cabinet meetings
other than the top of them
when people praise him.
But I do think
is the legal walls close and aro
he thinks it's the best hedge
to protect himself
against potential legal vulnerab
I actually think he does
miss being president.
I don't think he misses governin
And I think that there were
there were days where it was que
how much governing he was doing
But I do think he misses
the power of the office.
And I think that a next term
would be so driven by state
that that's what he's looking fo
if anything,
unlike 20, 16,
when I think
he didn't really want to be pres
but he did want to win.
I think it's a bit of the revers
but I agree that he needs
the infrastructure
that he thinks
the campaign
gives him against these investig
And that's absolutely true,
given those for Griffin. Fantast
Appreciate it.