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In anticipation of the 45th president’s likely announcement for a third presidential campaign, questions regarding Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s political ambitions have dominated news headlines. Following the midterms, many Americans have been wondering if DeSantis will run against Trump in 2024 and how he will react to criticism from President Trump.
On Tuesday, DeSantis responded to President Donald Trump’s recent statements about him for the first time.
Rather than challenge Trump directly, DeSantis explained that he is used to receiving criticism and attacks, particularly from the media.
“One of the things I’ve learned in this job is when you’re leading, when you’re getting things done, you take incoming fire. That’s just the nature of it,” he said during a press conference.
DeSantis said he remains focused on serving as a leader, adding, “What matters is, are you leading, are you getting in front of issues, are you delivering results for people, and are you standing up for folks? If you do that, then none of that stuff matters. That’s what we’ve done. We’ve focused on results and leadership.”
Turning his attention to the latest rumors of division in the Republican Party, DeSantis stated, “All that’s just noise. At the end of the day, I would just tell people to go check out the scoreboard from last Tuesday night. The fact of the matter is it was the greatest Republican victory in the history of the state of Florida.”
Trump has nicknamed the governor, “Ron DeSanctimonious,” and questioned his loyalty for not sufficiently answering whether he is considering running for president in 2024.
Recent polls show that Trump continues to be the overwhelming favorite pick for the 2024 nominee among voters in the Republican Party.
The 45th president plans to make a special announcement from Mar-a-Lago at 9:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 15.