DeSantis Challenges Trump Over RNC Pledge
President Donald Trump has continued as the undisputed leader of the GOP since his departure from the White House and has refused to sign the Republican National Committee’s pledge supporting the eventual party nominee for the 2024 presidential election.
Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, in what many believe is a move influenced by his high-rolling establishment backers, took the opportunity to call out the former president publicly.
During a media interaction in Iowa, DeSantis criticized Trump for his decision. “I mean, you can’t, on the one hand, say that the country’s going in such a bad direction, which we all believe, and then, on the other hand, say you’re just going to take your ball and go home,” he stated.
The Florida governor emphasized that he had signed the pledge early on and that it was about more individual candidates. “It’s not just about you. It’s about a larger mission that we have to accomplish for Americans,” DeSantis noted — neglecting to mention the failure of Republicans to deliver before or after Trump’s 2016 victory.
Despite DeSantis’ criticism, the former president’s refusal to sign the pledge isn’t without reason. In a candid conversation on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, and in interviews with media houses, Trump pointed out that there were candidates in the current GOP lineup he wouldn’t endorse.
“I wouldn’t sign the pledge. Why would I sign a pledge if there are people on there that I wouldn’t have?” Trump said during an interview with Newsmax host Eric Bolling. He even expressed no interest in attending RNC-sanctioned debates, arguing that his high polling numbers made debates unnecessary.
Some political insiders believe that the Florida governor’s recent change in tone may be driven by pressure from influential donors guiding his campaign. It’s an assertion that has been making the rounds, considering DeSantis’s ambitious political aspirations.
Trump’s refusal to sign, however, isn’t without precedent. Former Republican presidents like Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, at different times, chose to skip primary debates.
Furthermore, Trump criticized the RNC’s criteria for debate participation, especially taking issue with the platform it provides for lower-polling candidates to target him. “You look at the debate, and they want you to debate, but you’re debating — it’s not really fair — somebody like Asa Hutchinson, who’s polling at zero percent, will ask me nasty questions,” Trump said.
For those following the story, it’s clear that the 2024 presidential race is heating up quickly.
