(ThePatriotWire)- Ron DeSantis, the Republican governor of Florida, is starting to push back at the attacks he has endured for months from former President Donald Trump.
During an interview on the “Piers Morgan Uncensored” program on Fox Nation, DeSantis spoke about a wide range of topics, including what he would’ve done had he been in the White House instead of Trump and how he might fare in the 2024 presidential race.
While DeSantis hasn’t officially announced his plans to run for president yet, it’s widely expected that he will do so soon. This interview was perhaps a very strong indication that it’s exactly what he’s going to do.
During the interview, DeSantis said of the 2024 presidential election:
“If I were to run, I’m running against [Democratic President Joe] Biden. Like we [DeSantis and Trump] are competing for the Republican [nomination], potentially. I get that, but ultimately, the guy I’m going to focus on is Biden because I think he’s failed the country.
“I think the country wants a change. I think they want a fresh start and a new direction, and so we’ll be very vocal about that. I spent a lot of time in Florida fighting back.”
Morgan then asked DeSantis whether he thinks he could ultimately defeat Biden in a head-to-head presidential race, to which he responded: “I think so.”
In a separate op-ed piece that describes the interview he did with DeSantis, Morgan wrote that it was “clear that the governor has had enough of Trump’s constant baiting and felt ready to take him on.”
In that vein, Morgan asked DeSantis during the interview what the differences were between him and Trump. The Florida governor said there were many differences between the two. He said:
“The approach to COVID was different. I would have fired somebody like [Dr. Anthony] Fauci. I think he got way too big for his britches, and I think he did a lot of damage.
“I also think just in terms of my approach to leadership, I get personnel in the government who have the agenda of the people and share our agenda. You bring your own agenda in, you’re gone. We’re just not going to have that.
“So, the way we run government, I think, is no daily drama, focus on the big picture, and put points on the board, and I think that’s something that’s very important.”
Those were only slight criticisms of Trump. What could be seen as a more direct attack on the former president was when DeSantis commented on the investigation that the office of the district attorney in Manhattan is conducting into Trump.
While DeSantis said that it was “an example of pursuing a political agenda and weaponizing the office,” he also took an underhanded swipe at the former president when he said:
“I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair. I just can’t speak to that.”
