South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and her allies are taking potshots at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — and according to The Daily Beast, she has the explicit backing of former President Donald Trump to do so.
"Earlier this month, Noem’s press secretary, Ian Fury, took a shot at DeSantis seemingly from out of nowhere. Fury sent a follow-up email to the National Review for an article ostensibly about 'the transgender lobby’s outsized influence in South Dakota.' Fury went on a tirade — against DeSantis," reported Jake Lahut.
"'Governor Noem was the only Governor in America on national television defending the Dobbs decision,' Fury said, referring to the Supreme Court decision overturning federal abortion protections. 'Where was Governor DeSantis? Hiding behind a 15-week ban. Does he believe that 14-week-old babies don’t have a right to live?'"
DeSantis, who vastly overperformed to win a 20-point victory in his re-election, has been constantly talked up by Beltway GOP strategists as a potential replacement for Trump, as the former president's campaign for president has appeared weak. DeSantis has not declared a run, but various polls have shown him either beating Trump in a primary or second behind him in a crowded field.
DeSantis, who originally became governor of Florida with Trump's endorsement in 2018, has not announced a run for president. But according to the report, Trump apparently wants to nip this possibility in the bud — and gave the all-clear to Noem, a possible candidate for Trump's vice president, to go after him on his behalf.
"As DeSantis’ star burns brighter, Trumpworld is looking for someone to dampen the light — which is where Noem comes in," said the report. "According to three GOP sources with behind-the-scenes knowledge of the quarrel, Noem has Trump’s blessing to take some shots across the DeSantis bow. And Noem’s efforts haven’t been going unnoticed as Trump continues filling out his VP shortlist. When asked for their thoughts on the DeSantis-Noem dustup, one source close to Trump responded simply with a popcorn emoji before later elaborating. 'Any experienced primary campaign operative will tell you arguments between potential opponents are best left to roil, fester, and spread,' the longtime friend of Trump’s told The Daily Beast."
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Trump himself has gone after DeSantis publicly, too, calling him "Ron DeSanctimonious" and even implying, with no evidence, that he personally rigged Florida's election in DeSantis' favor by sending the FBI to stop the count of ballots in Broward County.
