Will Ron DeSantis back Donald Trump in 2024 amid legal woes? Florida Governor weighs in

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, said on Thursday that he would support Donald Trump if he is the GOP nominee, despite warning that a conviction of the former president would be “fatal” for the party’s chances in the general election.

DeSantis made the remarks on MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe,’ where he also criticized Trump for skipping the debates and campaigning from his “basement” in Florida.

The Florida Gov. said he signed a pledge to back the eventual Republican nominee, whoever that may be, but added that he did not think it would come to a conviction of Trump.

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“I think it would be fatal in a general election,” DeSantis said.

“I don’t think the party should nominate [him] in that situation.”

Trump is facing multiple criminal charges related to his actions before and after the 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden. The first trial, on four counts of federal election interference, is set to begin on March 4, 2023, a day before the Super Tuesday primaries.

DeSantis said he was concerned about the impact of the legal troubles on the party’s prospects. He said he wanted to be a fighter and a winner for the Republicans, not just on the campaign trail, but also on policy issues.

“I signed the pledge. I’m a Republican. I don’t think it’s going to come to that,” he said.

“The reality is, as I signed it, and that’s what I did.”

Trump’s camp responded by mocking DeSantis for appearing on a liberal-leaning network and calling him “Tiny D”.

The former President has been leading the polls among Republican voters, with DeSantis in second place. However, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley has been gaining momentum in recent surveys. Haley also said she would honor the pledge to support the GOP nominee.

“We all signed a pledge saying that we would vote for the nominee,” Haley told ‘The Daily Show’ on Wednesday.

“We can’t keep living this way. We can’t do that.”

On Thursday, Trump received an endorsement from Florida Senator Rick Scott, who praised him as a “proven leader”.

Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Hialeah, Florida, on November 8, the same day as the third Republican debate in Miami.

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DeSantis said he was not afraid of facing Trump or any other candidate on the debate stage. He said he was confident that he had a strong record and vision to offer to the American people.

“We are not going to win as Republicans, Joe, by adopting the strategy that Biden did, being in the basement during the 2020 campaign. That’s effectively what Donald Trump’s doing,” DeSantis told ‘Morning Joe.’

“Donald Trump is perceived by Republicans as a fighter, but I also want to win for people. That means winning elections, but also means winning on these policy fights.”

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