Donald Trump asserts that Karl Rove is the hidden force behind Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign. Rove, who previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush, refuted this claim. Trump has portrayed DeSantis as a representative of the political establishment and labeled him a RINO (Republican in Name Only), suggesting that the accusation is intended to associate DeSantis with Rove and further emphasize this viewpoint. In a February interview, Trump expressed his disapproval of Rove, indicating his lack of support for him.
“Karl Rove has not been good for the Republican Party, and he has led a lot of failed campaigns,” Trump remarked.
Additionally, the ex-President mentioned that DeSantis holds admiration for Paul Ryan and Jeb Bush, whom Trump considers as Republican in Name Only (RINOs).
In response to these claims, Rove countered by stating that he has only had a single meeting with DeSantis, during which they exchanged approximately ten words.
For a while now, Trump has been criticizing the Governor of Florida and mocking him with the nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious.” The former President alleges that DeSantis is disloyal and suggests that he wouldn’t hold the position of Governor in Florida if it weren’t for Trump’s endorsement. Trump views DeSantis’ decision to run for the presidency as a betrayal.
On May 24th, the Governor officially launched his presidential campaign in a livestream on Twitter, joined by Elon Musk. However, technical issues caused delays, and the conversation between the two individuals began nearly half an hour later than scheduled, resulting in a chaotic start.
Trump ridiculed the launch of DeSantis’ campaign on his Truth Social and Instagram accounts. He shared manipulated videos that depicted a rocket appearing as if it were about to launch but then collapsing. Another clip juxtaposed images of Trump confidently taking the stage amidst a backdrop of American flags, accompanied by chants of “USA,” with visuals of Twitter malfunctions and disruptions in DeSantis’ speech, making it difficult to hear his voice clearly.
President Biden also joined in mocking the DeSantis campaign launch. His team posted a tweet that humorously stated, “Just like my policies, this link works.”
