A new video from The Lincoln Project attacks the rift between Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump. On paper, DeSantis is an avid Trump supporter, but there have been signs of tension.
On Truth Social, Trump himself triumphantly shared poll data this Friday that showed him beating DeSantis in a hypothetical match-up in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. Neither Trump nor DeSantis have actually formally confirmed they’ll be running in that primary, although Trump seems almost certain to do so. “It’s hard to watch, isn’t it Donald?” The Lincoln Project’s video says. “Ron DeSantis betrayed you to become a star, raising millions by stealing your act, winning straw polls and fans. They’re running to Ron and Ron’s running against you. You made him and he betrayed you. He’s laughing at you, running against you. He’s taking everything from you, and by the time you fight back, it will be too late. Sad.” Check out the video below:
Never underestimate your underling. They can, and will, replace you if you take them lightly. pic.twitter.com/jLsifVuIE6
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) July 7, 2022
The poll data Trump shared on Friday showed him getting 56 percent of the support in a GOP primary and DeSantis finishing second with 16 percent. The respective portions of the support contained in the data Trump posted (on Truth Social) didn’t add up to 100 percent, so some respondents could be expected to have stated they were undecided or in support of a candidate other than those listed without particularly broad backing. It certainly seems striking that Trump barely reached a majority in the poll, no matter his obviously sky-high name recognition. In a May edition of the poll (this one was from June), Trump didn’t even reach a majority: he had 41 percent. Still, Trump was triumphant. “With all the lies and the greatest Witch Hunt in U.S. History…my number went up. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump said. Yet, that number didn’t even reach a two-thirds majority.
Trump is continuing to face the threats posed by investigations in Congress and at the office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis into his conduct in relation to the last election. The drumbeat seems to get only louder for Trump to be prosecuted, and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), vice chair of the House committee investigating the Capitol riot, recently indicated issuing a criminal referral implicating Trump in connection to their investigation remained a possibility. That wouldn’t force the Justice Department to act, but it would come with a lot of evidence.
Trump flipped out at that: “How can I be guilty of a crime when I’m the one who wanted to stop the so-called “crime” by strongly recommending 10,000 plus troops to D.C., and hence the surrounding of the Capitol, only to have this recommendation rejected by Pelosi and the Mayor of D.C., who are in charge of Capitol security?” Trump said on Truth Social. “There would have been no “January 6” if they had followed my recommendation. The Unselect Committee refuses to even mention this totally conclusive and determinative fact. WITCH HUNT!” The notion that Trump was blocked from implementing a plan to use National Guard troops to protect the Capitol on January 6 is fictional.
