Former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows does not believe Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) would challenge Donald Trump in a 2024 Republican primary, surmising the governor “would be the first to say that if President Trump gets in, that he would win the nomination and would clear the field.”
“Gov. DeSantis has made it very, very clear that he is running for reelection as governor of Florida, but he doesn’t shy away from being very bold in terms of the initiatives that he’s putting forth,” Meadows told the Washington Examiner “citing three days he recently spent with DeSantis in California,” according to Yahoo.
“His reelect for governor is a platform to show that the policies, and the boldness, and, quite frankly, the courage,” Meadows continued.
“You know, I think Ron DeSantis is identified across the country now for the courage that he shows for conservative solutions, and he would be the first to say that if President Trump gets in, that he would win the nomination and would clear the field, and so I don’t ever see it being a 2016 primary scenario,” the former House Freedom Caucus chairman said.
“That being said, Gov. DeSantis won’t even — he’s asked over and over and over again every time I’m in his presence — he’s been asked, ‘Are you running in 2024?'” Meadows continued, noting DeSantis’s “consistent” answer.
“He is running for reelection for governor of the state that not only he loves, but one that is, quite frankly, well run because of his leadership,” he said.
His remarks coincide with the Western Conservative Summit straw poll showing the Florida governor topping former President Trump in 2024 presidential approval, 74.12 percent to 71.43 percent. Trump, however, bested DeSantis in February’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) straw poll, 55 percent to 21 percent.
Neither has formally indicated if they plan to run in 2024, but Trump has said that he would consider the Florida Republican as a potential running mate.
“Sure I would, but, you know, there are numerous people that are great,” Trump told Fox Business Network’s Stuart Varney this month. “I would certainly consider Ron.”