Donald Trump

Trump Criticizes DeSantis' Record in Florida

The governor hasn't declared his candidacy for president yet, but he's getting attention from Trump as if he has

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The two most popular politicians in Florida have very different takes on the Sunshine State.

Former president and Palm Beach resident Donald Trump offers a grim assessment.

Gov. Ron DeSantis touts Florida as the best in the country.

In a campaign email, and on his social platform, the former president slashed DeSantis and his policies.

“He is, for a Republican, an average governor, he got 1.2 million less votes in Florida than me, he fought for massive cuts in Social Security and Medicare, and wanted Social Security minimum age to be raised to 70 years old or more,” reads the statement.

“Florida has been successful for many years, long before I put Ron there — It’s amazing what ocean and sunshine will do!" he said.

Some political observers are shaking their heads.

“It has often been a strategy in politics that you try to take down your opponent before they take down you,” said Susan MacManus, a USF Professor Emeritus and political analyst. “DeSantis has been very quiet, played a different kind of game, trying to show he can stay above the fray and focus on the legislative session and being governor."

The former president’s statement went on.

“In education, Florida ranks among the worst in the country, and on crime statistics, Florida ranked third worst in murder, third worst in rape, and third worst in aggravated assault. For 2022, Jacksonville was ranked as one of the top 25 major crime cities in the country, with Tampa and Orlando not doing much better," Trump said.

The governor, at his recent State of the State address, painted a different picture.

“Florida is the fastest growing state in the nation, we rank number one for net migration, we rank number one in the nation for new business formation, we are number one in economic growth amongst large states," the governor said. "Florida has more people employed today than before the pandemic. Our unemployment is one of the lowest on record and is significantly lower than the national average."

MacManus and others warn of the risk that comes with intra-party Republican politics.

“The danger is that Republicans stay home,” she said. “This is a critical time for Republicans to get their act together and campaign in a way that is refreshing and seems to grab the attention of Republicans rather than turning them away."

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