Trump Ambush: Ron DeSantis Suffers Major Blow To 2024 Presidential Bid After Targeted Attack From The Don
April 19 2023, Published 9:05 a.m. ET
Ron DeSantis suffered a major blow to his rumored 2024 White House bid this week after a number of GOP House Reps. announced their endorsements for former President Donald Trump, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The striking surprise came on Tuesday as the Florida governor traveled to Capitol Hill to meet with GOP lawmakers.
But while DeSantis was in Washington, D.C., at least two House Reps. from the governor’s own state announced their endorsements for Trump for the 2024 presidential election.
According to Politico, Florida House Reps. John Rutherford and Greg Steube announced they would be endorsing Trump on Tuesday while a third Floridian, House Rep. Brian Mast, confirmed he will also soon announce his endorsement for the former president for 2024.
Even more shocking are reports that GOP House Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas walked out of DeSantis’ meeting on Capitol Hill to declare his support for former President Trump on Tuesday.
“It’s a killer!” one source close to Trump’s campaign told Politico following Gooden’s surprise endorsement.
Meanwhile, DeSantis only garnered a small number of victories during his visit to Washington earlier this week. One endorsement DeSantis received was from his former secretary of state, Freshman House Rep. Laurel Lee.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, DeSantis – who has yet to officially announce his 2024 White House bid – is expected to be Trump’s biggest challenger during next year’s presidential election.
But following Tuesday’s surprise ambush, it appears DeSantis will have more trouble than he initially expected in convincing GOP lawmakers to back his expected White House bid.
“The amazing part of it is how easy it was,” another source close to Trump’s 2024 campaign said after the endorsement ambush this week.
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The source also revealed how the Trump campaign sent out an email on Sunday night asking a number of Sunshine State congress members to endorse the former president.
“Heck yes, I’d love to endorse him,” one Republican reportedly responded. Florida Rep. Byron Donalds also reportedly agreed to endorse Trump.
