Donald Trump Fires at Ron DeSantis—and Misses
By: William McGurn (WSJ)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Donald Trump is a savvy showman. The derisive nicknames he coined for his opponents—"Crooked Hillary" (Hillary Clinton), "Pocahontas" (Elizabeth Warren), "Little Marco" (Marco Rubio) stuck because they were funny. But also because these names "pinpoint their vulnerabilities," what former Obama adviser David Axelrod acknowledges is Mr. Trump's "diabolical" genius for branding opponents.
Not so the swipe he directed at Ron DeSantis Saturday night. At a rally in Latrobe, Pa., Mr. Trump reserved his most memorable insult of the evening for the most successful Republican governor in the country.
“We’re winning big in the Republican Party for the nomination like nobody’s ever seen before,” Mr. Trump told the crowd as he pointed to polling numbers up on a screen. “There it is, Trump at 71%, Ron DeSanctimonious at 10%. Mike Pence at 7—oh, Mike is doing better than I thought.”
The New York Times reports that Mr. Trump had been privately testing nicknames for Mr. DeSantis. It still proved a dud. And it’s notable that he didn’t use it again at a Florida rally the next day when he said to great applause that Mr. DeSantis would be re-elected. That’s the closest thing to a Trump admission that it was a mistake.
Mr. Trump’s critics can’t see why this insult is any different from those that came before. The difference is that this time Mr. Trump misread the room. It didn’t help that it also just wasn’t that catchy or funny. And most people had to think about it for a moment to get what Mr. Trump was referring to—unlike, say, “Sleepy Joe” for President Biden.
But the main reason it flopped is that Mr. Trump didn’t know his audience. It’s no secret that what his supporters like most about Mr. Trump is what Lincoln said of Grant: He fights. But they don’t want him to fight a successful Republican governor who has an impressive record of fighting for many of the things they most care about.
The timing was also off. Republicans, including many who twice pulled the lever for Mr. Trump, have now had a taste of what a Democratic White House and Congress mean for them. The last thing they want is Mr. Trump turning his fire on people they regard as members of their own team three days before what looks to be a Republican wave election.
Indeed, the most bitter criticism is coming not from the press. The press would like nothing better than to stoke a Trump vs. DeSantis insultfest. To the contrary, Mr. Trump’s problem now is that the criticism is coming from people who would likely vote for him again if he were the 2024 GOP nominee but are also open to Gov. DeSantis.
If Mr. Oz loses what had been a GOP seat, Republicans will have to flip two Democratic seats to gain control of the Senate. Yet any positive message about poor Mr. Oz has now been drowned out by the potshot Mr. Trump took at Mr. DeSantis.
Meanwhile, next door in Ohio, a similarly beleaguered Trump-backed Republican Senate candidate, J.D. Vance, also experienced Mr. Trump’s idea of being supportive when he told the crowd his pick for Ohio’s next senator was “kissing my ass.” It has given his Democratic opponent, Rep. Tim Ryan, his best line: “Ohio needs an ass-kicker, not an ass-kisser.
It is impossible to imagine another former president so willing to belittle candidates of his own party on the eve of a general election. But this underscores Mr. Trump’s implicit threat to the Republican Party: Even if he decides not to run for the GOP nomination in 2024—or does run and doesn’t win—he will use whatever support he retains to ensure that the eventual Republican nominee loses that November.
Perhaps it isn’t surprising that Mr. Trump would be indifferent to the fate and fortune of the Republican Party. After all, he wasn’t really even a Republican until he ran for president. And he probably feels, with some justification, he wasn’t treated well by party elders when he first ran.
But it’s different today. No longer is he the outsider. He is a former president, the ostensible party leader, and the presumptive favorite should he run again. When he attacked Mr. DeSantis, he wasn’t the underdog returning fire—he was shooting first, unprovoked.
We’re long past the days of Ronald Reagan and the so-called 11th Commandment enjoining party members not to speak ill of fellow Republicans. Trump voters, moreover, are long used to other Republicans demeaning or calling out their favorite Trump-backed candidates. The difference this time is that the call is coming from inside the house.
Tags
Who is online
481 visitors
"But the main reason it flopped is that Mr. Trump didn’t know his audience. It’s no secret that what his supporters like most about Mr. Trump is what Lincoln said of Grant: He fights. But they don’t want him to fight a successful Republican governor who has an impressive record of fighting for many of the things they most care about."
Trump made a major mistake.
He isn't as bad as the human fuck up machine in the White House; but both of them need to go away for the good of the country.
That's for sure!
How can his supporters not pick up on the truly stupid pattern of speech he has in his claims: "like nobody's seen before". Everything that Trump does is, in his mind, a breakthrough ... he has the best words, the biggest crowds, the greatest accomplishments, the harshest consequences for his enemies, .... Even a twit should pick up on this blatantly obvious pattern of bullshit.
I have to wonder if Trump's die-hard supporters will finally catch on with him going after DeSantis or will they remain in their oblivious little fantasy worlds with Trump.
Not much to wonder about, IMO. You called them die-hard for a reason.
Die-hard, in my view, refers to those who continue to believe Trump. Out of that group, I would expect there is a point where most would finally realize that Trump is NOT a wise choice to support for PotUS.
But maybe Trump was correct when he said he could shoot someone in broad daylight and still not lose support.
Donald Trump does not take no for an answer. Barring him losing the first primary by 20 pts, he will not leave the race. And he's not going to lose a republican primary by 20 pts.
DeSantis would be better off dropping out now and coming back in 28. He will still be less than 50 years old at that time. If he goes all out fighting Trump this time he may not have a national political career left in 28.
Without support, Trump would find an excuse and drop out of the race.
That might be true, but he's not going to have no support. He has never been behind in a poll against DeSantis outside the state of Florida.
I agree. We have people right here who cannot even bring themselves to acknowledge any wrongdoing by Trump.
Exactly.
How wonderfully optimistic.
Or-----------if the grift begins to 'peter out' the Trump will slink away.
Stop feeding the narcissist and he will go away.
Hello, I did deny ever seeing Trump eat, maybe I watch the wrong news shows as I don't remember the PBS Newshour or CNN showing Trump eating.
I found sites that discussed his menu preferences but none about frequency, perhaps you can provide some links.
Trump will destroy Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis will not attack Trump , and Trump will fight dirty.
Where have you people been for the past seven years?
So Trump took a shot at DeSantis and missed? He didn't miss much.