GOP strategist: Trump 'is Dr. Frankenstein coming to Florida to try and kill the monster'

According to a report from Politico's Meredith McGraw and Matt Dixon, the first major battle for the Republican Party's 2024 presidential nomination will take place this weekend when Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) host competing rallies in Florida -- which has GOP campaign consultants worried a full-on war could be in the offing.

The former president is slated to head a rally in Miami on Sunday to which DeSantis was not invited. For his part, DeSantis is hitting the road in the state and appearing at 13 different rallies between Saturday and election day to bolster GOP chances in the midterm election.

According to Politico, not everyone is pleased that the two aren't putting aside their differences and worry what barbs they may sling at each other before their respective crowds.

"They did not invite Ron, which I do think was stupid,” said one GOP consultant of the Trump rally. “Why not try and avoid the appearance of the fight? But in their defense, I don’t know that he would have come even if he was invited.”

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"Both sides have publicly downplayed any conflict between Trump and DeSantis, but interviews with nine GOP consultants, advisers and party officials say hostilities between the two potential 2024 opponents remain," Politico is reporting with a former DeSantis adviser confiding, "Trump cannot help himself and Ron knows that. So I think what you’ve seen is him strategically take jabs without taking direct jabs at Trump. Ron’s very smart, whatever he does he’s going to be calculated and diligent about it.”

As for Trump, one person close to the former president stated, "DeSantis is still looking for Trump’s affection in a lot of ways, and I think for them to get miffed about not getting invited shows how big of a force Trump is during the midterm elections. Even with a candidate who looks like he’s going to win, they’re upset they were not invited to the rally.”

One GOP consultant with ties to DeSantis expects Trump to try and stick a knife in DeSantis' 2024 presidential ambitions.

"Trump 'is Dr. Frankenstein coming to Florida to try and kill the monster that has gotten out of control,'" they explained. “It’s a fight over control. I think he [Trump] has picked his enemy. In his mind, they are running against each other.”

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