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DeSantis Says He Doesn’t Want Trump’s Endorsement For Governor

Donald Trump’s endorsement helped the Florida governor win in 2018, but Ron DeSantis isn’t begging for his help this time around.

As Florida’s gubernatorial campaign heats up, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says he won’t be asking Donald Trump to endorse him this time around, according to a report from Politico. Instead, those close to DeSantis say the Republican doesn’t want the former president’s public support to win re-election—nor, they claim, does he need it. They’re likely right, as polls have consistently shown DeSantis ahead of his competition on the left. That wasn’t the case four years ago, however, when DeSantis was just a little-known congressman from northeast Florida lagging in every poll. Trump’s strong endorsement of DeSantis, however, flung him ahead of Republican favorite Adam Putnam and just past Democrat Andrew Gillum—by 0.4 percent of the vote—in the general election, landing DeSantis in Tallahassee. DeSantis’ reluctance to seek public support from Trump comes as he prepares for a likely 2024 White House bid, which could pit the two Florida men up against each other in Republican primaries.