(Daily Caller) Former President Donald Trump will attack Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for being the “embodiment of the political establishment” and a war hawk on Ukraine, Trump insiders told the Daily Caller.
DeSantis has yet to announce a 2024 run, but Trump has already issued an onslaught of criticisms on why the Florida governor would not be the right choice for president, calling him “Ron DeSanctimonious” and saying DeSantis running for president would be a “mistake.”
Leading up to 2024, Trump’s rhetoric against DeSantis will continue to point out that the governor is a part of the “establishment” because he does not differentiate himself from other Republicans in the field and takes on issues that don’t require “courage,” a source close to the Trump campaign said.
The Caller granted anonymity to sources familiar with Trump’s thinking to allow them to speak openly on a sensitive matter.
“It does not take bold leadership to oppose critical race theory in 2023. Donald Trump himself issued an executive order banning critical race theory in the federal government … It doesn’t show that you’re anti establishment at all to take an issue that every Republican agrees on,” the source said.
The “establishment” jab will mention those who support DeSantis, a Republican operative close to the Trump campaign told the Caller.
“President Trump is calling Ron DeSantis an establishment candidate because he is getting establishment support. Fox News is the Republican establishment. Fox News is all in on Ron. The donor class is all in on Ron. Jeb Bush and Karl Rove are boosting Ron. He is getting support from all corners of the party that Trump defeated in 2016. He will defeat them again,” the Republican operative said.
On Ukraine, Trump will tout that he is the only Republican candidate that has proposed a strategy of peaceful negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, the operative familiar with the Trump campaign continued.
“Trump stands out as the least hawkish Republican on Ukraine and he will focus on exposing Ron as being out of step with many Republican voters on this issue,” the operative said. “Has Ron come out and said he wants an end to military aid in Ukraine and a peace deal? No. He has simply called for more blank checks. That’s the same rhetoric as Mike Pompeo and Nikki Haley.”
Trump has maintained that he could solve Russia’s war on Ukraine within “24 hours,” but refused to tell the Caller what exactly he would do, because he’s not president yet.
“I’m not going to tell you that because if I told you that, I probably wouldn’t be able to do it,” Trump said about his “24 hour” plan.
Trump’s foreign policy approach will also mention his approach on raising tariffs — something DeSantis has not spoken about, according to those close to Trump.
