Former President Donald Trump continued his attacks on his potential GOP primary rival Thursday morning, saying Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is overseeing the "worst insurance scam" in the U.S.
Trump hit DeSantis for moving to bail out insurance companies at a total of $3 billion after last September's Hurricane Ian, as some homeowners say insurance companies are leaving them short on their claims, as The Washington Post reported.
"In addition to wanting to cut Social Security (and raise the minimum age to at least 70) & Medicare, RINO Ron DeSanctimonious is delivering the biggest insurance company BAILOUT to Globalist Insurance Companies, in history," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "He's also crushed Florida homeowners whose houses were destroyed in the hurricane — they're getting pennies on the dollar.
"His insurance commissioner does NOTHING, while Florida's lives are ruined. This is the worst insurance scam in the entire country!"
Florida Politics chronicled the dust-up, questioning whether Trump was condemning former Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier — who resigned in December to join The Southern Group as a lobbyist — or his interim replacement Michael Yaworsky who was unanimously elected as head of the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) by DeSantis and his Cabinet this week.
Florida passed two bills last year, one to provide $1 billion from the state's revenue to bail out the reinsurance market as the number of eligible insurance providers was shrinking last year. That one followed the $2 billion last May.
Trump, who calls Florida home (Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach,) has made DeSantis a frequent target, politically. DeSantis has mostly remained above the fray, but has teased he knows the attacks on him are coming because his critics see him as a threat to their power.
Trump joked at his Iowa speech Monday that he might not be as critical of DeSantis if he weren't considering a run in the 2024 GOP presidential primary. DeSantis has not made an official announcement and current Florida law would require him to resign as governor if he were to officially enter the 2024 presidential race.
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.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.