Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday he would not be former President Donald Trump’s running mate if given the chance to join him on the ticket.
“I don’t think so, I’m not the number two guy,” DeSantis told “Wisconsin Right Now” radio show, saying he would rather stay as governor because the vice presidency “doesn’t really have any authority. ”
When asked about his own thoughts on a running mate, DeSantis said that “it’s a little presumptuous to do that at this stage.”
“I’m here to win the early primary and that’s what we have to do first,” he added.
DeSantis has been sharpening his criticism of Trump. On Tuesday’s “Mark Belling Show,” he criticized both President Joe Biden and the former president for their ability to win over suburban women, arguing that they not only “disapprove of Biden, I think unfortunately they also very strongly disapprove of Donald Trump.” .”
The governor likened Floridians to the national electorate, calling his home state a “microcosm of America” where candidates have to appeal to a wide range of voters to win state office. DeSantis won re-election last year by a double-digit margin.
When contacted for comment, a Trump campaign spokesperson dismissed DeSantis’ comments.
“Ron DeSantis is nobody’s guy. He’s not ‘the guy’. He’s just ‘a guy’. Ron is just there, sullen and sad, because his numbers are as small as he is,” the spokesperson said.
DeSantis also said Tuesday that he would support the eventual Republican nominee, even if it is Trump.
Trump continues to lead sizable Republican opponents, including DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence, in most national polls.
An NBC News poll conducted in June found that 51% of Republican national primary voters chose Trump as their first choice in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, followed by 22% who chose DeSantis and the 7% who chose Pence.
