by Mary Margaret Olohan
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded Tuesday to criticisms from former President Donald Trump, telling a reporter, “When you’re getting things done, you take incoming fire.”
Trump has raised eyebrows by criticizing DeSantis, also rumored to be considering a 2024 run for president, calling the Republican governor “Ron DeSanctimonious,” and describing him as “an average REPUBLICAN Governor with great Public Relations.”
DeSantis, 44, won his reelection campaign in a landslide last week.
“What do you think about Trump’s big announcement and some of the less than flattering comments he has made about you?” asked a reporter.
DeSantis laughed before responding: “One of the things I’ve learned in this job is when you’re leading, when you’re getting things done, you take incoming fire, that’s just the nature of it.”
His remarks came just hours ahead of Trump’s much touted Tuesday evening announcement, in which many believe the former president will finally officially say that he is running for reelection.
DeSantis appeared to steer his response away from Trump and toward a more general reflection on media criticism, adding, “All that’s just noise,” before saying, “Really what matters is, are you leading? Are you getting in front of issues? Are you delivering results for people, and are you standing up for folks? And if you do that, then none of that stuff matters. And that’s what we’ve done, we’ve focused on results, and leadership.”
“At the end of the day,” he added, “I would just tell people to go check out the scoreboard from last Tuesday night.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Ambassador Nikki Haley, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan are also reportedly considering presidential runs.
“We’re giving it consideration in our house. Prayerful consideration,” Pence said in an interview that aired Monday on ABC’s “World News Tonight,” adding of whether Trump should run again, “That’s up to the American people. But I think we’ll have better choices in the future.”
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Mary Margaret Olohan is a senior reporter for The Daily Signal.
Photo “Ron DeSantis” by Ron DeSantis.
