'He backstabbed our president': Florida Republicans say they have 'no respect' for DeSantis

Despite reelecting him to a second term as governor in a landslide vote last year, Florida Republicans have soured on Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign.

NPR recently reported that Floridians have coalesced around former President Donald Trump's bid for a second term in the White House, and that Gov. DeSantis' chances of winning his state's 2024 Republican presidential primary are effectively nil. Republican voter Sally Maltais, who attended Trump's recent rally in Hialeah, Florida, said all current GOP presidential candidates — including DeSantis — should all drop out and endorse the former president. She added that DeSantis' campaign is a slap in the face to Trump, given that DeSantis was elected both times with Trump's endorsement.

"He backstabbed our president," Maltais said. "And now I have no respect for DeSantis. I'm sorry. I don't."

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"I'm a little upset that he's out campaigning as president because I voted for him to do a job here as governor," Maltais said of DeSantis. "And while he's out campaigning, he's not doing his governorship job. And I'm not the only Floridian that feels that way. And we need him back here to govern. That's what we elected him for."

Republican voter Victor Alvarez agreed with Maltais, telling NPR that Trump has an insurmountable lead over all other remaining candidates — both in Florida and nationwide — and that the primary is effectively already over.

"I believe Trump will win in '24 and it's not going to be an issue of somebody else running," Alvarez said. "He's ahead in the polls right now and he has not gone to any of the Republican debates. Think about that."

Alvarez is right in assessing Trump's lead: The RealClearPolitics (RCP) polling average for the 2024 Republican primary in the Sunshine State shows Trump with a comfortable 40-point lead over the rest of the GOP field. And nationally, even though former UN ambassador Nikki Haley has shot up to second place in early state polls, RCP averages show Trump with a massive lead over his opponents. The next Republican debate will take place on Wednesday, December 6, though Trump is not expected to attend.

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