DeSantis Says if Trump Loses, He Will Claim He Was Cheated

During a recent campaign appearance in New Hampshire, Ron DeSantis told reporters that Trump will claim caucuses were stolen from him if he loses any of them to a primary challenger. 

It was another fair, long-overdue, and probably-futile shot across Donald Trump’s bow from the Florida Governor, who continues to trail the former president by double digits in the Republican presidential primary race.

“Do you expect the former president to accept the results in Iowa or New Hampshire given the unfounded claims of fraud in 2020?” a reporter asked.

“If Trump loses, he will say it’s stolen, no matter what, absolutely,” DeSantis replied firmly, nodding. “He will try to delegitimize the results. He did that against Ted Cruz in 2016.”

“Even when, like, the Apprentice didn’t get an Emmy,” DeSantis chuckled, referring to Trump’s reality television show. “I don’t think there’s a single time he’s ever been in competition for something and didn’t get it that he accepted the results.” 

DeSantis conveniently didn’t reference Trump’s most egregious and dangerous instance of refusing to accept outcomes he didn’t like: the 2020 presidential election against Joe Biden. 

This isn’t surprising: DeSantis heavily flirted with Trump’s Big Lie after 2021 and even, to one extent or another, this year despite the utter lack of evidence for Trump’s lies. And since the Florida Governor is hoping in vain to win over MAGA supporters and Republicans, most of whom believe the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, there’s a cynical logic to DeSantis’s omission.

But despite DeSantis’s fair criticism of Trump, it is likely to make little difference since Trump is favored by far to win both the Iowa and New Hampshire caucuses. 

(Video credits)