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Donald Trump, former president, claimed that Ron DeSantis’ victory as Florida Governor in 2018 was only possible because the then-congressman begged for his endorsement with tears.
He is widely expected to announce his candidacy for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024. Mr DeSantis won re-election easily over Charlie Crist, a former Democratic Representative and former GOP governor. His former ally, Mr Trump, is the only GOP candidate for this election and has previously claimed credit to Mr DeSantis for his political successes.
Speaking during an appearance Hugh Hewitt Show On Thursday, Mr Trump suggested that Mr DeSantis was trailing his 2018 GOP primary opponent in polls before he received Mr Trump’s endorsement.
“He was dead. He was leaving the race… and he begged for my endorsement,” he stated. Later, he added that the Florida gubernatorial nominee had “tears falling from his eyes”.
Trump claimed that Adam Putnam, the Florida governor’s primary opponent in 2018, had a “large lead”. However, polls from the same period showed Mr DeSantis comfortably ahead.
The twice-impeached ex president has a long history in describing encounters that he had with teary-eyed men. All of them praised him in lavish terms.
There is no evidence to support the claims that the stories following this template are true. Reporters covering Mr Trump’s 2020 campaign often noted that Trump’s description of crying men was a strong indicator of his fabrications.
