DeSantis Decks Trump With Accusations Of “Running To The Left”

Days after Ron DeSantis (R) announced his bid for president in 2024, the Florida Governor has come out swinging against his Donald Trump – accusing his chief rival of “running to the left” after siding with (woke) Disney vs. Florida.

“I don’t know what happened to Donald Trump,” DeSantis told WWTN radio in Nashville. “This is a different guy today than when he was running in 2015 and 2016. And I think, I think the direction that he’s going with his campaign is the wrong direction.”

LISTEN: Ron DeSantis says Donald Trump is “going left” on the issues

“He’s even sided with Disney against me. You know, I stood up to Disney because I oppose the sexualization of our children […] I don’t know what happened to Donald Trump. This is a different guy [from 2016].” pic.twitter.com/1a2lcqOTe9

— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) May 26, 2023

More via Bloomberg;

On spending, DeSantis said Trump shares responsibility for the nation’s $31 trillion in debt. “He added almost $8 trillion in debt in just four years as president,” he said. “I was right on those issues and he wasn’t.”

On abortion, DeSantis defended Florida’s newly enacted six-week abortion ban against Trump criticism that it was “too harsh” and that DeSantis didn’t know what he was doing. 

*  *  *

On immigration, DeSantis accused Trump of supporting amnesty for undocumented immigrants as part of a 2018 immigration bill. “To hit me for taking the America First position I think is pretty strange,” DeSantis said. 

The Trump campaign responded that as a congressman, DeSantis voted for a bill that gave legal status to some undocumented minors as part of a package of tougher immigration restrictions, before opposing a similar plan. 

DeSantis also spoke with the Daily Wire‘s Ben Shapiro, slamming Trump on his approach to crime.

DeSantis is running to the right of Trump on crime. He wants to repeal the First Step Act, signed by Trump in 2018. It was the brainchild of Jared Kushner and Koch-backed policy people like Brooke Rollins, who now leads Trump’s America First Policy Institute.

In 2019, Tucker… pic.twitter.com/kyv0vFGygY

— Pedro L. Gonzalez (@emeriticus) May 27, 2023

Trump has been taking shots at DeSantis for months – including this video making fun of DeSantis’ glitchy 2024 announcement on Twitter spaces (which received way more attention due to said glitches than it would have otherwise).

Trump just posted this video making fun of DeSantis. I have to admit, I couldn’t stop laughing😂

Trump spaces soon? pic.twitter.com/xDsWMTUBI3

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 25, 2023

“What a mess it is,” Trump said on Thursday regarding the Disney dispute. “He could have worked out an easy settlement, but no — he wanted to show the fake news how tough a guy he is. He’s not.”

DeSantis has gained ground on Trump since late April despite the former president maintaining a clear lead.