Taking down a former president in a primary is a tall order, but Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis made his best pitch to Newsmax, saying he has a higher ceiling in a general election than Donald Trump.
"I do think there is a limit to the number of voters that would consider the former president at this point," DeSantis told Thursday night's "Eric Bolling The Balance." "I mean, we've seen it in Florida; we've seen it in places like Georgia.
"I think there are some people that don't like [President Joe] Biden, but they would like another option; so I think my ceiling is higher in a general election."
DeSantis boasted his taking the longtime battleground state with mere 1-point margins in the past to win reelection in 2022 by 20 points.
"You can't do that with just Republicans," he told host Eric Bolling.
Even Democrats and independent voters want an off ramp from Biden without going back to Trump, DeSantis argued.
"I think a lot of people realize that Biden is a failure, but I think they're looking for a vehicle they'll be comfortable getting behind," DeSantis said. "And I think I could coalesce a pretty good number of people to be able to do that."
DeSantis noted he can pull in Democrats and independents even after years of fully rejecting them with bold leadership and a sharp wit.
"I wasn't exactly a pale pastel," DeSantis said. "I've been bold colors.
"I've stood strong for what we believe in. I never wilted under pressure, and yet people responded to that.
"I think you want to have somebody who can draw people in, who may not have traditionally been Republicans and are willing to give us a shot."
As for state-by-state primary polling that has him at fractions of Trump's rock-solid MAGA support, DeSantis said the blitz is coming and the polls will turn.
"I haven't been a candidate; I have been doing my job in Florida," he concluded, boasting the "most effective legislative session in the modern history of the Republican Party."
"Now we're going to be launching a blitz. We're going to be in these early states. We're really going to be all over the country bringing this message to our voters."
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