Two former top aides to Donald Trump's White House revealed Sunday that they don't believe Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has what it takes to beat the former president for the Republican presidential nomination — and that it will largely come down to personality.
"I'm definitely worried about how strong" DeSantis will be in a campaign battle against the former president, Stephanie Grisham, former press secretary in the Trump administration, told Jim Acosta on CNN.
Olivia Troye, former adviser to Mike Pence, agreed. "I don't think he [DeSantis] is as appealing" as Trump, she said. "He doesn't have the charisma ... that Trump has — that kind of draw, that fiery brand."
She added: "I actually don't see the two of them as being different people" politically, indicating that victory will depend on the candidates' personalities.
"I know that many of my Republican colleagues will say, 'Oh, DeSantis is so much better, [but] I don't see his politics as very different than Trumpism. He is Trumpism. He's just got a different cloak wrapped around him."
She emphasized that she doesn't see — at least "not right now" — DeSantis beating Trump.
Grisham warned that Trump could be even tougher to beat this time because he'll be a kind of Trump on steroids.
Based on his particularly vicious litany of insults in his CPAC speech — against the traditionalist "freaks" in the GOP, "thug" immigrants and "woke Marxist" Democrats — voters are "not going to get the same Donald Trump. We're going to get a more angry and vengeful Donald Trump," she warned.
See the video below or at the link here:
Former White House aides: DeSantis can’t win over Trump supporters — here’s whywww.youtube.com
