Matt Gaetz Endorses Trump, Takes Shot at “Amateur” DeSantis

WACO, TEXAS — Congressman Matt Gaetz belittled Governor Ron DeSantis’ credentials for president over the weekend, arguing: “This is no time for amateurs or impersonators or understudies.”

Speaking at a Trump rally in Waco, Texas on Saturday, Gaetz suggested no other Republican presents a better chance to reclaim the executive office than the former president.

“There is no success without victory and there is no Trumpism in 2024 without Donald J. Trump,” Gaetz said.

Gaetz also pointed to Trump's efforts to help secure election victories for DeSantis and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in previous years.

“Without Trump doing three rallies in the final week in the 2018 election in Florida, my governor today would probably be Andrew Gillum,” he said. “Today, Ron DeSantis and Dead Cruz (sic) should endorse Donald Trump for president and stand with us as we were so proud to stand with them.”

Trump has repeatedly bemoaned a lack of loyalty from DeSantis.

“IF I WERE GOVERNOR…”

Gaetz’s dig at the governor comes days after the congressman criticized DeSantis for his response to the rumored Trump indictment.

DeSantis told The Florida Standard that the state would not get involved in the “political spectacle created by a Soros-funded prosecutor.”

The governor also took a swipe at the former president, referencing Stormy Daniels' claims in 2016 that Trump paid her to keep quiet about an alleged affair in 2006.

“I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair,” DeSantis said.

Gaetz took issue with the governor’s response.

“I think that it was a bit uncouth for him to take a jab at the former president,” he told NewsNation.

“If I were governor of Florida, I would not allow any Floridian to be hauled before some George Soros-backed prosecutor in some blue city over politics,” Gaetz added. “And I wouldn’t make an exception to not protect the President of the United States.”