MIAMI, FLORIDA: Ron DeSantis is strongly considering roping in Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders as his VP pick before he makes a formal announcement on his candidacy in the 2024 presidential election.
Recent reports suggest the Florida governor's candidacy is imminent after he attempted to rebrand his political committee. Earlier this month, DeSantis reportedly filed a notice with the state that he was "no longer associated" with and would no longer raise funds either directly or indirectly for the organization, "a step he needs to take ahead of a presidential campaign," per Politico.
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Sources have now claimed that DeSantis is determined to bring in Sanders as his 2024 running mate after her successful bid to become Arkansas' first female governor in November, succeeding Asa Hutchinson who had been serving in the role since 2015. "He really only has one strong choice: Sarah," an insider spilled to Radar Online. "He is desperate to lock up his running mate before he makes his formal announcement. He would announce his VP candidate very soon afterward." The campaign source added, "He thinks it will be a one-two punch and Republicans will be hard-pressed to look past a united front, especially if it is him and Sarah."
Another source close to Sanders pointed out to the outlet that she has "refused to endorse her former boss" for the GOP presidential nomination. "At the moment, she has a foot in both camps," they claimed. When Sanders was asked about her support of Trump, she offered a vague response. "I love the President, have a great relationship with him," she said. "I know our country would be infinitely better off if he was in office right now instead of Joe Biden but right now my focus isn't 2024." Insiders believe she is considering her options. "Part of her wants to embrace the new GOP and she believes DeSantis is the man," the source claimed. "But she is worried about Trump's influence and the results of recent polls only shows that. The governor is keeping her powder dry."
This comes after DeSantis' political team appeared to throw shade at Trump on Wednesday, May 17, after the rising Republican star was endorsed by 99 lawmakers in the Florida state legislature. "Ron DeSantis' support among Republicans in the Florida legislature is almost universal because these lawmakers have partnered with the governor to pass the most robust conservative agenda in the history of the state, putting Florida at the top of the rankings on every key metric," a top DeSantis political operative told Fox News, which noted that the phrase "almost universal" was an unmistakable reference to Trump's April statement that his "support is almost universal in Florida" after he was endorsed by nearly half of Florida's Republican congressional delegation.
In response, the Trump campaign accused DeSantis of using his veto power as governor to force state legislators to back his potential White House bid. "It's no surprise that Ron DeSantis and his political cronies have continued to terrorize the Florida legislature with the threat of his veto pen if they don't acquiesce to his demand to endorse his candidacy," campaign spokesman Stephen Cheung said in a statement. "There are some brave legislators who have stood up to DeSantis' Swamp-like behavior and resisted his intimidation tactics in order to do what is right for Florida and the country. Those who he can't control — including almost the entirety of the Florida federal congressional delegation — have endorsed President Trump because he's the only candidate who can beat Joe Biden and take back the White House," he added.