Maintaining a firm lead in polling, former President Donald Trump is going after his chief GOP primary rival Saturday, claiming Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to "get out" of the race to save face for 2028.
"Ron DeSanctimonious is desperately trying to get out of the Presidential race, while at the same time saving face for 2028, where he has been greatly damaged," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"Jeff Roe, Ron's boss despite having a terrible record of winning, is spending money like a wild man gone bad. Much of the money being used was raised for his Gubernatorial race, and transferred over (illegally?) because his Presidential donors have largely fled do to his terrible, and still falling, poll numbers. Ron is just wasting time!"
DeSantis' campaign has been hailing the former Trump administration officials who are now siding with DeSantis for the 2024 GOP nomination, but Trump is saying one adviser believes DeSantis "should get out now" before the debates begin.
"Steve Cortes, the Ron DeSanctimonious top political strategist, thinks that Ron should get out NOW, while the getting is still good," Trump added on Truth Social.
Trump's claims about Cortes are not necessarily fully supported by Cortes' tweets, including one in which he declares "electability is paramount," linking to an analysis that shows Trump losing to President Joe Biden, but DeSantis beating him in Electoral College projections.
That did not stop Trump from pointing out his former staffer called him the "best presidential debater" in history.
"He also said (thank you Steve!) that Donald J. Trump is the best Presidential debater ever, and can't be beaten at the debate game," Trump's post added.
"Well, based on that, maybe I should enter the debates — But, then again, when you have a 40 to 50 point lead over the field, maybe I shouldn't???"
That remark echoes those Trump made to Newsmax recently, suggesting taking arrows from the anti-Trump forces in the GOP primary field is not worth it.
Trump also weighed in on "fake news" media reports that Trump is leading the primary only because the anti-Trump candidates are blocking DeSantis' rise.
"Despite Fake News protestations to the contrary, I do better one on one against Ron DeSanctimonious than I do with a field of candidates, large or small," Trump wrote. "Personally, I don't think it matters. MAGA!!!"
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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