Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has fired back at former President Donald Trump, who has accused him of being “disloyal” to the Republican Party.
Trump made the accusation in a recent interview, saying that DeSantis had “not been very supportive” of him. He also said that DeSantis was “trying to be me.”
DeSantis responded to Trump’s comments in a statement, saying that he was “proud to be a Republican” and that he would “never be disloyal” to the party. He also said that he was “not trying to be anyone but myself.”
“Trump says you’re disloyal. Do you feel that way?” Watters asked.
“Disloyal to who? I mean, you know, politicians have to earn support. They’re not entitled to support,” he responded. “I did a lot for him in 2016 and 2020. By the way, I was happy to do it. But at the end of the day, you know, I’m loyal to my family, to our Constitution, and to the good Lord.”
“And I have a vision. I think I’m the guy that can beat Biden,” he continued. “But even more importantly, no more excuses on these issues. I’m going to get all of this stuff done. We’ll have a plan on day one to get going and get cracking. We’ll give you two great terms for eight years and really get the country on a fundamentally different path. I think I’m the guy that do it. And so I have the responsibility to step up and serve.”
The spat between DeSantis and Trump is the latest sign of the growing rivalry between the two men. DeSantis is seen as a potential successor to Trump as the leader of the Republican Party, and the two men have been jockeying for position.
Trump has been critical of DeSantis in the past, but the recent comments were particularly harsh. Some analysts believe that Trump is trying to undermine DeSantis’s chances of becoming the Republican nominee in 2024.
DeSantis, for his part, has not shied away from criticizing Trump. He has said that Trump is “not a king” and that he is “not the Republican Party.”
“Trump says you’re disloyal. Do you feel that way?”@RonDeSantis: "Disloyal to who? Politicians have to EARN support. They're not entitled to support. I did a lot for him in 2016 and 2020 by the way. I was happy to do it. But at the end of the day, I’m loyal to my family, to our… pic.twitter.com/ufuHLE7fBY
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) June 29, 2023
