WASHINGTON — The political world waited over the weekend for Ron DeSantis to weigh in on the doable indictment of Donald Trump. After which waited. And waited some extra.
Within the meantime, Trump world social media influencers and acolytes raked DeSantis over digital coals, pointing to his silence as complicity in — or a minimum of indifference to — New York County District Lawyer Alvin Bragg’s pursuit of Trump, the GOP’s high chief.
Behind the scenes, Trump aides fanned the flames, focused the Florida governor in information releases and cheered because the Trump world influencers slammed him on Twitter and Fact Social.
When DeSantis lastly spoke Monday at a information convention in Tallahassee, Florida, he took photographs at Bragg — and at Trump.
“Circus” and “Soros,” DeSantis mentioned of the grand jury probe and of George Soros, the billionaire liberal donor. “Hush cash” and “porn star,” he added, repeating the allegation in opposition to Trump.
“I do not know what is going on to occur, however I do know this: The Manhattan district legal professional is a Soros-funded prosecutor,” he mentioned, accusing Bragg of weaponizing his workplace to go after Trump whereas overlooking different crimes. (Soros, by the Shade of Change PAC, supported Bragg’s election marketing campaign.)
However DeSantis added: “I don’t know what goes into paying hush cash to a porn star to safe silence over some sort of alleged affair. I simply, I can’t communicate to that.”
That is when all hell broke free within the 2024 GOP presidential nomination combat, signaling the beginning of the political arms race Trump has been attempting to ignite since DeSantis emerged as his chief rival final 12 months.
Trump took to Fact Social to say it could be unfair if DeSantis had been attacked for grooming younger ladies or being homosexual. Trump’s publish did not go away a lot to the creativeness: It included an image of a person, allegedly a youthful DeSantis, standing with a gaggle of younger ladies, one in every of whom is holding a bottle.
“Ron DeSanctimonious will in all probability discover out about FALSE ACCUSATIONS & FAKE STORIES someday sooner or later, as he will get older, wiser and higher identified, when he is unfairly and illegally attacked by a lady, even classmates which might be ‘underage’ (or probably a person!),” Trump wrote. “I am certain he’ll wish to combat these misfits identical to I do!”
The image is from a 2021 weblog publish on a website referred to as The Hill Reporter, which purportedly confirmed an image of DeSantis with a number of younger ladies throughout his temporary time as a highschool trainer greater than 20 years in the past. NBC Information hasn’t confirmed the authenticity of the image.
The outbreak of open political warfare between the 2 males can have far-reaching penalties for Trump, who leads in most nationwide polls, and DeSantis, who has distinguished himself forward of the remainder of the GOP discipline with out having introduced a bid. However the two sides disagree over how precisely the race has been disrupted.
Trump allies imagine DeSantis’ early silence — and his choice to assault Trump instantly over allegations of an affair with the grownup movie star Stormy Daniels — present he is not prepared for prime time.
“He simply does not have it proper now, and this weekend confirmed it,” mentioned Steve Bannon, the host of the “Bannon’s Struggle Room” podcast and a former high adviser to Trump. The comment about Daniels, who Trump denies slept with him, was “an inexpensive shot from a budget seats,” he mentioned.
DeSantis’ information convention was “a catastrophe,” and 10% of Trump’s MAGA voters would by no means vote for DeSantis now, Bannon mentioned.
“With out 100% of MAGA, you may’t win — ask [Virginia Gov. Glenn] Youngkin,” he added.
Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the third-ranking Home Republican, predicted that DeSantis would see “slippage” in his ballot numbers after the remarks.
“He is already seen slippage the previous couple of weeks,” mentioned Stefanik, an early Trump backer. “And I feel you are going to see President Trump proceed to solidify his place” within the Republican contest.
However DeSantis backers noticed the importance of the back-and-forth in a unique gentle.
“It is already a two-horse race,” mentioned Dan Eberhart, a longtime DeSantis donor who’s backing him within the primaries. “The substance of the assaults apart, the truth that Trump goes after DeSantis — and nobody else — betrays who he is most fearful about.”
Whereas Eberhart mentioned different Republicans ready on the sidelines could have “missed their window” to emerge as contenders for the nomination, he additionally mentioned the lesson of 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney’s absorbing assaults from President Barack Obama that summer time should not be misplaced on DeSantis, who had largely averted direct confrontation of Trump till Monday.
“DeSantis should not ignore him for an excessive amount of longer,” Eberhart mentioned.
Some DeSantis supporters worry he could possibly be weighed down by Trump assaults earlier than he publicizes he’s working, which he isn’t anticipated to do for a minimum of one other couple of months.
Former Rep. Keith Rothfus, R-Pa., who has inspired DeSantis to run for president, mentioned the authorized ramifications Trump faces not simply in New York but in addition in Georgia and in different ongoing probes are “nonetheless an enormous unknown.” He did not see a problem with how DeSantis spoke concerning the matter Monday.
“You may concurrently criticize what these political prosecutions are doing and the way it undermines the rule of regulation, how we put forth the double normal of justice … and nonetheless search for a brand new management that may type of do the issues we have to do to really drain the swamp and really get this authorities again on the aspect of the American folks,” he mentioned. “It’s not an both/or.”
“We do want to maneuver forward and transfer into the longer term,” he added.
Spokespeople for Trump and DeSantis didn’t reply to calls looking for remark Monday.
Trump, who first labeled DeSantis “Ron DeSanctimonious” days earlier than the midterm election, has attacked him repeatedly in latest months, looking for to egg on a battle. Final month, Trump referred to as consideration to the picture showing to indicate DeSantis with younger ladies. This month, the principle pro-Trump tremendous PAC filed a criticism with the Florida Fee on Ethics accusing DeSantis of breaking the regulation through his “shadow presidential marketing campaign.”
In each circumstances, DeSantis has saved his response extra muted. After Trump shared the picture, DeSantis advised reporters he does not spend time “attempting to smear different Republicans.” In response to the criticism, Taryn Fenske, his communications director, described it as a “frivolous and politically motivated” assault.
Many elected Republican leaders have rallied to Trump’s protection since he introduced Saturday, with out proof, that he expects to be indicted Tuesday. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who has clashed with Trump over the Jan. 6 revolt and is a presidential bid, joined that set over the weekend.
A brawl between the dual titans might open up a lane for an alternate choice — a minimum of, that is what the remainder of the pack is relying on.
However a combat getting so ugly so early might drag others into the mud.
“Nobody is voting for 11 months,” mentioned an adviser to a different potential contender. “In the event that they’re going to ratchet the rhetoric to this spot now, GOP voters usually are not going to love the place this leads to February 2024.”
This text was initially revealed on NBCNews.com