A former hardcore MAGA supporter of Donald Trump said he now backs Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) for president.
Cortes made the endorsement on Tuesday despite advising Trump during the 2020 campaign and regularly appearing on pro-Trump podcasts.
"Ron DeSantis represents the best possible option to win the presidency in 2024 and to govern as a highly capable, patriotic populist leader," Cortes wrote in a column for Newsweek. "I have worked as a dedicated spokesman and advocate for Donald Trump for much of the last seven years, so I do not arrive at that conclusion flippantly."
Cortes argued that the so-called America First movement was "bigger" than Trump. He pointed to polls showing that 70% of Americans do not want the former president to run again.
"So, given the pervasive pessimism of the country broadly and widespread dissatisfaction with the idea of a Biden-versus-Trump rematch, doesn't it make eminent sense to consider the most compelling candidate who can break that logjam: Ron DeSantis?" he wrote.
Other polls cited by Cortes showed DeSantis with a larger lead over President Joe Biden than Trump could claim.
"But the proof lies in the reality that people vote—both at the ballot box and with their feet as DeSantis' Florida gains new citizens," he concluded. "Now it's time to take that same approach for the nation. In Ron DeSantis, Republicans can rally to a fresh, vibrant, and optimistic agenda, one that includes electoral victory followed by disciplined and focused policy achievements."
