NBC NEWS
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday he would not be former President Donald Trump’s running mate if given the opportunity to join him on the ticket.
“I don’t think so. I’m not a No. 2 guy,” DeSantis said on the “Wisconsin Right Now” radio show, saying he would rather stay on as governor because the vice presidency “doesn’t really have any authority.”
Asked about his own thoughts on a running mate, DeSantis said, “It’s a little bit presumptuous to be doing that at this stage.”
“I’m here to win the early primaries, and that’s what we’ve got to do first,” he added.
DeSantis has been sharpening his criticisms of Trump. On the “Mark Belling Show” on Tuesday, he took a swing at both Trump and President Joe Biden over their ability to win over suburban women, who he argued not only “disapprove of Biden, I think they also unfortunately disapprove very strongly of Donald Trump.”
DeSantis went on to liken Floridians to the national electorate, calling his home state a “microcosm of the United States” where candidates have to appeal to a wide variety of voters to win statewide office. DeSantis won re-election last year by a double-digit margin.
Reached for comment, a Trump campaign spokesperson was dismissive of DeSantis’ remarks.
“Ron DeSantis isn’t anybody’s guy. He’s not ‘the guy.’ He’s just ‘a guy.’ Ron is just there, sullen and sad, because his numbers are as tiny as him,” the spokesperson said.
DeSantis also said Tuesday he would support the eventual GOP nominee, even if it’s Trump.
Trump continues to hold a sizable lead over his GOP opponents, including DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence, in most national surveys.
An NBC News poll conducted last month found 51% of national Republican primary voters picked Trump as their first choice in the race for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, followed by 22% who chose DeSantis and 7% who picked Pence.
Alec Hernández is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.
Jake Traylor contributed.
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