Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is already laying out an "optimistic, positive vision for what we can achieve," said former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.
"We know we can achieve it with his leadership," Cuccinelli said Saturday during an appearance on Newsmax's "The Count."
"Look what he's done in Florida. He has the most spectacular track record of accomplishment of any chief executive, president, or governor in decades. So you can have faith that any concerns you have, and I have, will be aggressively addressed by a President DeSantis."
DeSantis launched his 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday with firm words but a disastrous Twitter announcement that did little to counter criticism that the 44-year-old Republican may not be ready to take on Trump.
While he tried to project confidence, DeSantis' unusual decision to announce his campaign in an online conversation with Twitter owner Elon Musk ultimately backfired. The audio stream crashed repeatedly, making it virtually impossible for most users to hear the new presidential candidate in real time.
Cuccinelli said the blip wasn't a big deal.
"Of course, you want everything to run perfectly. But even the way it didn't run perfectly spoke to the enthusiasm of his campaign. ... You're really seeing the benefits of youth and energy that he brings to this race just in the first few days," he said.
DeSantis is already going after former President Donald Trump on policy, but he's "not doing the name calling; he's not going down in the gutter. He's keeping on the high road. But it is competitive; they have differences," said Cuccinelli.
"Whether it's COVID or spending, or amnesty for illegals that the governor opposes and the president supported — these are things he has pointed out — they're all policy. So the way he keeps in good terms with Trump voters is to stick with the things they want for America and not just malign the president. He did a good job as president; we give him his credit. But Ron DeSantis is the better choice going forward for the next eight years."
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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