DeSantis: Donald Trump “High Risk – Low Reward” as GOP Nominee
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ron DeSantis warned voters on Sunday that picking former President Donald Trump as the Republican nominee is “high risk” with a “low reward.”
“The point is simple,” DeSantis said during an interview with CNN’s State of the Union. “Donald Trump is a high-risk proposition as a nominee because I think the chance of him getting elected is small. But it’s a low reward because he’s gonna be a lame duck on day one.”
“SADDLED WITH DISTRACTIONS”
Typically, a “lame duck” refers to a politician who remains in office but will soon be replaced by a newly elected successor.
“Even if he could get elected, he would not be able to attract the type of talent to work in his administration,” DeSantis said about Trump, adding that the former president would be “saddled with distractions.”
If Trump is selected as the GOP nominee, DeSantis said Democrats would go “scorched earth” on their messaging, and the country would likely reelect President Joe Biden for a second term.
“I wouldn’t be running unless I thought that the Democrats would beat Trump if he were the nominee,” DeSantis said. “If he were the nominee, you’re gonna see scorched earth, you’re gonna see all this stuff brought up from the past and the whole election will end up being a referendum on Donald Trump.”
HOW OLD IS TOO OLD?
DeSantis also took a jab at Trump over his age, suggesting that the presidency is not a job for someone pushing 80 years old.
“This is not the same guy as the Trump in 2015 and ’16,” DeSantis said. “That Trump would show up on the debate stage, he would barnstorm.”
“Now he’s wedded to the Teleprompter, he’s not willing to debate, and he’s running on many of the same things he promised to do in 2016 and didn’t deliver,” DeSantis added.
Last month, DeSantis’ campaign introduced a “Trump Accident Tracker” highlighting the former president’s gaffes, pointing to missteps as to why his “handlers won’t let him debate.”
Age has been an ongoing topic in the 2024 presidential election. Biden turned 81 today and Trump turned 77 over the summer.