Ever since there was even a whisper that Ron DeSantis might throw his hat in the ring to be the Republicans’ presidential nominee in 2024, Donald Trump has been on the offensive. In addition to giving the Florida governor a fancy new nickname, Trump has threatened to spill all the secrets he claims to know about “Ron DeSanctimonious” or just straight up “kick him in the nuts.” But given how many former allies seem to be turning their backs on the former president, Trump has decided to take his intimidation up a notch and threaten the entire Republican party.
As The Hill reports, Trump refused to say whether he would definitely endorse the GOP’s presidential nominee if it’s not him. “It would have to depend on who the nominee was,” he said during an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. Which is pretty much the same answer he gave when asked the same question in 2016, before he won the party’s official nomination. That could make him a liability (which is very likely why he’s saying that).
As The Hill notes, there’s a lot of concern among Republicans that if Trump does not secure the Republican nomination, he’ll shift his campaign strategy and run as an independent nominee — which, if MAGA diehards follow their leader — could potentially hand another victory to the Democrats.
While Trump is the only person to officially announce his candidacy for 2024, it’s expected that Nikki Haley will be next. In addition to DeSantis, Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo are also names being bandied about as possible candidates.
(Via The Hill)