Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said former President Donald Trump is not the same presidential candidate as he once was, and one thing he’s missing — pizazz.
“This is a different Donald Trump in 2023. I don’t think he’s got the same energy,” Mr. DeSantis said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Thursday. “I don’t think he’s got the same pizazz. Twenty-fifteen and ’16 was about America First. I think this campaign is more about Trump First. It’s more about his issues.”
Mr. DeSantis has been trying to gain traction in the GOP presidential race against Mr. Trump, who remains the prohibitive favorite to capture the nomination.
He said that though this is Mr. Trump’s third presidential campaign, this time Mr. Trump lacks the “same energy” when he first ran in the 2016 race and “was clicking as a candidate.”
“He had energy. He was out there riffing,” he said. “He was controversial, but in a way that was edgy. And I think people said, ‘You know what? This political system needs to be shaken up.’”
In a statement to The Washington Times, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said: “Ron DeSantis has a Little League brain trying to compete in a Major League world. This is nothing more than a desperate attempt of a flailing candidate who is in the last throes of his campaign.
“He is getting crushed in the polls — both statewide and national — and President Trump is the only person who polls above Joe Biden,” Mr. Cheung said. “This tough guy routine from DeSantis is laughable, because the only thing tough about him is his ability to consistently embarrass himself every single day on the campaign trail in his high heels.”
It was a reference to recent reports that Mr. DeSantis wears lifts inside his boots.
Mr. DeSantis pointed out that one thing that’s changed about Mr. Trump is his stance on abortion.
“It’s a stark difference from his speech at the March for Life when he was president,” Mr. DeSantis said of Mr. Trump’s statements criticizing abortion bans. “That was not what he was saying then. He said he was one of us in terms of being a pro-life president. Now he’s saying protections when there’s a detectable heartbeat for an unborn child is somehow a terrible thing.”
Mr. Trump has said in the past that the abortion issue cost Republicans the midterm elections in 2022 after Roe v. Wade was overturned just a few months before. He also called Mr. DeSantis’ six-week abortion ban a “terrible mistake.”
Still, Mr. Trump has a large lead in the polls over the other GOP candidates, including Mr. DeSantis. A national Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday showed that Mr. Trump has the support of 64% of voters, while Mr. DeSantis holds 15%.
“The key is really creating that foundation,” Mr. DeSantis said of grabbing voters.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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