Trump planning to unleash a scorched-earth campaign against DeSantis: report

Once close political allies, former President Donald Trump is already sizing up Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as his closest competition to stop him from his desired return to the White House.

According to a Rolling Stone article, unnamed political insiders close to Trump, he has already outlined a plan that includes trying to paint DeSantis into a corner about cutting Social Security, a move to draw voters from the older age demographic that DeSantis has done well with across the state of Florida.

"In a Republican primary, only Donald Trump could effectively go after Ron DeSantis for wanting to cut Social Security," an unnamed Republican source with ties close to Trump's 2024 campaign said in the Rolling Stone interview.

Trump's strategy will include both personal and professional attacks and both domestic and international policy critiques. COVID response and past relationships with anyone in the Democrat party would also be tactics in the strategy.

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Trump's plan also includes distancing his past relationship with DeSantis by making him look like a political 'fat cat' who is tied to the establishment as a two-term governor of one of the biggest states in the union. Rolling Stone described it as "a new scorched-earth campaign."

A different unnamed political insider close to Trump thinks this is where the former President will be able to take DeSantis to task and take advantage of his political outsider role that plays well specifically in the Midwest and Southern regions.

"This is where...Trump kicks him in the nuts," the same unnamed political insider said.