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‘It Will Get Insane’: Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis Go to War for GOP

DeSantis said he should be elected because he could potentially serve eight years, while Trump could only be president for four years.

Donald Trump. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Donald Trump

Donald Trump and DeSantis Begin Negative Campaigning – Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis are lightly sparring. The former president used some wicked attacks before the Florida governor declared his candidacy for a White House bid, but so far the two have needled each other but have not taken off the gloves. Now they are having a gentlemen’s spat over how long each can serve in the Oval Office.

As one former Republican National Committee Senior Offical told 19FortyFive, “It will get Insane.” 

Eight Years Versus Four Years in the White House

DeSantis said he should be elected because he could potentially serve eight years, while Trump could only be president for four years. Of course, each candidate is getting ahead of their skis by assuming they will win the nomination and beat Joe Biden, still a tall task, even though the president has shown clear polling weakness.

Trump visited Iowa on June 1, a state that he won twice in the general elections of 2016 and 2020, for a full schedule of activities. DeSantis had already made the comments about him serving eight years and Trump said that it wouldn’t make any difference.

Trump Claims He Can Do a Quick Turnaround from Liberal Policies

“You don’t need eight years, you need six months,” Trump stated during a breakfast with the Westside Conservative Club in Urbandale, Iowa. “We can turn this thing around so quickly. If you need eight years — who the hell wants to wait eight years? You don’t need eight years.”

Trump said he “winced” every time he hears DeSantis talk about an eight-year tenure explaining how he knows just what to do in Washington. DeSantis also has DC experience having served as a congressman for four years before running for governor.

Protecting the Supreme Court Majority

DeSantis explained he is needed for two terms in the White House to ensure that the Supreme Court remains conservative and how he could appoint more right-leaning judges to the federal bench. This is something Trump has accomplished as president and would continue doing if elected again. So, both candidates are prepped to bring their brand of politics to long-term execution regarding the judicial branch. DeSantis believes he is equipped to protect the court.

“I think if you look over the next two presidential terms, there is a good chance that you could be called upon to seek replacements for Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito and the issue with that is, you can’t really do better than those two,” DeSantis said. “You could make improvements with those others, and if you were able to do that, you would have a 7-2 conservative majority on the Supreme Court that would last a quarter century.”

January 6 Rioters Unfairly Treated, Trump Says

In other campaign patter, Trump decided to speak about the January 6 insurrection in 2021. The former president has said before he would consider pardoning those convicted of their activities on that day of rioting on Capitol Hill. He also referred to MAGA hero, Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed trying to break into the floor of the House of Representatives.

Trump said the Capitol police officer who shot Babbitt was a “thug” and a “rogue cop.” He also insinuated that protesters for racial equality after the murder of George Floyd also rioted in many cities and that the January 6 convicts were treated worse by the courts. Nearly 500 of the January 6 rioters have been convicted for federal crimes that have resulted in prison sentences. Trump said their lives have been “destroyed.”

As for Trump and DeSantis, they are expected to elevate their rhetoric against each other. DeSantis ordinarily polls in second place, although Trump has a strong lead. The former president can focus his attention directly on the Florida governor without worrying about the rest of the field. DeSantis must make a case about why exactly he is running for president. He has been successful leading Florida to enact pro-conservative laws in the Sunshine State, but can he do the same for the entire country? Meanwhile, Trump is a known quantity and what you see is what you get. DeSantis must make a clear contrast between he and Trump. The governor has time to make these distinctions clear with voters to remain the number one alternative to the former president. 

Author Expertise and Experience: 

Serving as 19FortyFive’s Defense and National Security Editor, Dr. Brent M. Eastwood is the author of Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare. He is an Emerging Threats expert and former U.S. Army Infantry officer. You can follow him on Twitter @BMEastwood. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and Foreign Policy/ International Relations.

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Written By

Now serving as 1945s New Defense and National Security Editor, Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare. He is an Emerging Threats expert and former U.S. Army Infantry officer.

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