Trump's Endorsement Got DeSantis Nothing

[Kamaji]

Trump's Endorsement Got DeSantis Nothing

Ann Coulter
Jul 19, 2023

Donald Trump is indignant that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would dare run for president when he KNOWS Trump is running. According to the former president and big baby, this is a betrayal of epic proportions because Trump endorsed DeSantis during his first gubernatorial run. (Whereas winning the presidency by promising to build a wall, and then reneging, is a trifle, hardly worth mentioning.)

DeSantis, he says, would be "working at a Pizza Hut" if not for Trump's endorsement. [Counter-argument: DeSantis is a graduate of both Harvard and Yale and didn't pay someone to take his SATs for him, as Trump did.]

But since Trump won't shut up about his splendiferous endorsement of DeSantis, let's see how valuable it really was.

Answer: It was utterly irrelevant.

Trump endorsed DeSantis on Dec. 22, 2017, shortly before he officially announced his candidacy, tweeting, "Congressman Ron DeSantis is a brilliant young leader, Yale and then Harvard Law, who would make a GREAT Governor of Florida. He loves our Country and is a true FIGHTER!"

The response was Earth-shattering!!! Actually, it had absolutely no effect. Not the slightest little bump in the polls. Weeks later -- thanks to Trump's back-breaking work typing out a tweet -- DeSantis' primary opponent, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam, led DeSantis 23% to 18%, according to a Florida Chamber of Commerce poll.

Although DeSantis wasn't shy about touting Trump's endorsement, by early June 2018, Putnam had a double-digit lead over him. A Fox News poll, for example, showed Putnam ahead 32% to 17%, and an NBC poll had Putnam leading DeSantis 38% to 21%. Not only that, but Putnam had outraised DeSantis $30 million to $10.8 million.

That's the old Trump magic!

It wasn't until the first primary debate at the end of June 2018 that DeSantis soared in the polls and never went back down. As Floridapolitics.com reported, numerous surveys showed "a dramatic leap to the top for DeSantis since the two [primary candidates] squared off in the nationally televised debate in Orlando on June 28."

*  *  *

Source:  https://townhall.com/columnists/anncoulter/2023/07/19/trumps-endorsement-got-desantis-nothing-n2625959

[LMAO]

From the article….

 didn't pay someone to take his SATs for him, as Trump did.]

Has this ever been proven? I know his niece claimed it in her book but I’ve seen nothing that verifies this claim

Coulter should not be repeating unverified claims

[LMAO]

Also from the article…

How about the race that obsessed Trump more than any other? Far more than a couple of tweets, Trump waged a jihad against Georgia's Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in 2022, practically turning himself into David Perdue's campaign manager.

He even used half a million dollars from his PAC to defeat Kemp -- marking the first time Trump spent his donors' money on something other than his own properties and family members.

Result: Kemp slaughtered Perdue in the primary, 74% to 22%, and then increased his margin of victory in the general election from four years earlier.

And never forget that in the weeks before DeSantis' reelection in 2022, Trump repeatedly attacked him at rallies, calling him the oh-so-witty "Ron DeSanctimonious." The day before the election, Trump hinted at an imaginary DeSantis scandal, telling The Wall Street Journal, "I will tell you things about him that won't be very flattering. I know more about him than anybody other than perhaps his wife, who is really running his campaign."


This, on the other hand, is true. Trump practically endorsed Stacey Abrams over Kemp before the election and started his attacks on Ron DeSantis before the election in Florida in 2022. Both handily won reelection.

It seems that Trump endorsement mean spit. It appears that Republicans would be better off being attacked by Trump and his unpopular MAGA  movement versus a Trump endorsement if they want to win a general election.

[corbe]

   Have some Lunch, Trumpers.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

How about the race that obsessed Trump more than any other? Far more than a couple of tweets, Trump waged a jihad against Georgia's Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in 2022, practically turning himself into David Perdue's campaign manager.  He even used half a million dollars from his PAC to defeat Kemp -- marking the first time Trump spent his donors' money on something other than his own properties and family members.

This has always been the problem with Coulter - a lot of her stuff is so over the top that I can't trust where she is actually being honest.  Is that bolded statement actually true, or just Trumpian "bravado" coming from Coulter herself?

[libertybele]

From Ann Coulter .... meh...not worthy of the read IMHO

[LMAO]

The problem with Coulter is that a lot of her stuff is so over the top that I can't trust where she is actually being honest.  For example, she says:

He even used half a million dollars from his PAC to defeat Kemp -- marking the first time Trump spent his donors' money on something other than his own properties and family members.

Is that actually true, or just Trumpian "bravado" coming from Coulter herself?

Just like her claim that Trump had somebody else take his SATs. The only place  I’ve ever seen that charge  was in a book written by Trump’s niece who has a chip on her shoulder.

If you’re not sure something is true or not, then don’t make the charge. And Coulter has always been a little goofy.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Just like her claim that Trump had somebody else take his SATs. The only place  I’ve ever seen that charge  was in a book written by Trump’s niece who has a chip on her shoulder.

If you’re not sure something is true or not, then don’t make the charge. And Coulter has always been a little goofy.

It's unfortunate, because she is sharp and sometimes writes good stuff.  But there's usually so much over the top crap in there that the net impact is worthless.  Oddly, very much like Trump himself.  He'll say something praiseworthy, than something that is complete nonsense/bonkers.

[corbe]

   Does anyone here believe that he is capable of a high scoring SAT?  And he has been on record praising Stacy Abrams.  I would normally disregard anything Ann Coulter wrote, as she was once a Trumper, but it all seems plausible to me.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

   Does anyone here believe that he is capable of a high scoring SAT? 

Don't know enough to have an opinion on his math ability, so maybe he did well on the SAT math.

But on the verbal part...no way.  The only way to do really well on the verbal part of the SAT is to read a lot, and he admittedly doesn't.

[DefiantMassRINO]

Trump is a bully with an inferiority-complex/impostor-syndrome, much like a Chihuahua dog.

[corbe]

Don't know enough to have an opinion on his math ability, so maybe he did well on the SAT math.

But on the verbal part...no way.  The only way to do really well on the verbal part of the SAT is to read a lot, and he admittedly doesn't.

   Having filed for 6 Bankruptcies (25%), I highly doubt he did well in Math either.

[GtHawk]

OOH! This should be an explosive thread even though there is justifiable criticism of Coulters claims. For a long time I have considered Coulter to just be a leaf blown by the political wind, sometimes far to the right other times drifting to the left. She's not someone that I consider a consistent conservative voice.

[sneakypete]

   Having filed for 6 Bankruptcies (25%), I highly doubt he did well in Math either.

@corbe

Yeah,mo betta to keep then running until you are penniless,huh?

[Maj. Bill Martin]

OOH! This should be an explosive thread even though there is justifiable criticism of Coulters claims. For a long time I have considered Coulter to just be a leaf blown by the political wind, sometimes far to the right other times drifting to the left. She's not someone that I consider a consistent conservative voice.

Remarkable lack of pushback on the core facts in the article....

Kind of a pattern.  As soon as facts start coming out that contradict a Trump narrative, some folks vanish like the bar tab just got dropped on the table.

[sneakypete]

Remarkable lack of pushback on the core facts in the article....

Kind of a pattern.  As soon as facts start coming out that contradict a Trump narrative, some folks vanish like the bar tab just got dropped on the table.

@Maj. Bill Martin

BIG whine  from the "polite crowd". No matter what lie or exaggeration is  broadcast,you are all right behind it if it hurts Trump.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Remarkable lack of pushback on the core facts in the article....

You have been arguing about this since March.  Get some new material @Maj. Bill Martin

[Maj. Bill Martin]

@Maj. Bill Martin

BIG whine  from the "polite crowd". No matter what lie or exaggeration is  broadcast,you are all right behind it if it hurts Trump.

Forget the lies or distortions, @sneakypete .  As I said, I'm not a fan of Coulter either, and don't trust what she says to be true just because she says it is.

But the part about the polls, timing of the endorsements, etc. is accurate.  Trump's December 2017 endorsement of DeSantis had virtually no impact on the race, and DeSantis was still way down.  He went from being 15 points down prior to the June debate, to being 17 points up.  That suggests that the debate was the turning point.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2018/governor/fl/florida_governor_republican_primary-6289.html#polls

Now, the one variable to that is that Trump endorsed DeSantis again a few days prior to the debate.  So I suppose you could argue that the first endorsement just didn't "take".  I don't think that's a great argument but at least you could make it.

 

[corbe]

@corbe

Yeah,mo betta to keep then running until you are penniless,huh?

   

   The House (Taj Mahal) always has the odds.  How can you bankrupt a Casino?  Don't even get me started on Steaks, Water, Airlines and Universities @sneakypete