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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to release an upcoming memoir, offering an exclusive insight into his relationship with President Donald Trump and praising the president for his “unique star power” that helped him achieve presidential victory in 2016.
According to The Guardian, which obtained a copy of the governor’s book “The Courage to Be Free” before publication, DeSantis offered numerous complimentary comments about President Trump, a surprising move if he plans to go head-to-head with Trump in 2024.
DeSantis credits Trump’s “unique star power” as a force that helped him win the 2016 presidency, saying: “Trump also brought a unique star power to the race. If someone had asked me, as a kid growing up in the eighties and nineties, to name someone who was rich, I – and probably nearly all my friends – would have responded by naming Donald Trump.”
Defending President Trump’s ascension to the top leadership position within the Republican Party, DeSantis claimed, “Some DC commentators have opined that Donald Trump’s nomination represented a hostile takeover of the Republican Party. But this analysis gets it exactly backward.”
He continued: “Since Ronald Reagan flew back to California on January 20, 1989, the GOP grassroots had been longing for someone who rejected the old-guard way of doing business and who could speak to their concerns and aspirations. Trump supported policies that appealed to the base in a way that GOP leaders in the DC swamp had been either incapable of doing or unwilling to do.”
The Florida governor further credited Trump as a driving factor that helped his gubernatorial campaign in 2018.
“I knew that a Trump endorsement would provide me with the exposure to GOP primary voters across the State of Florida, and I was confident that many would see me as a good candidate once they learned about my record,” DeSantis wrote. “I had developed a good relationship with the president largely because I supported his initiatives in Congress and opposed the Russia collusion conspiracy theory.”
Despite DeSantis’s praise for President Trump, it is unclear where their relationship stands as the 45th president continues to take shots at the governor.
According to RSBN, Premise Data’s Bi-Weekly Political Sentiment Tracker had President Trump in the lead, with 57 percent support in a hypothetical GOP presidential primary race. DeSantis came in second with 28 percent.
Although DeSantis has not announced a presidential bid yet, he hinted that his decision on a presidential bid in 2024 could come after Florida’s legislative session comes to a close in May, The Hill reported.
“We’re going to sell some books, we’re going to spread the message of Florida. And then on March 8, I have our Legislative Session that’s kicking off,” the governor said on Fox & Friends when prompted about a presidential run.
“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” DeSantis continued. “This is going to be the most productive Legislative Session we have had across the board and I think people are going to be really excited … So those are what we’re going to be doing over these next few months as we get beyond that, then we can decide from there.”
“The Courage to Be Free” will be released on Feb. 28.
