Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has warned that former President Donald Trump will suffer another electoral defeat if he becomes the 2024 Republican presidential candidate.
“I don’t think he can win an election. I can win an election… I don’t think he can actually do the job that we need to do,” DeSantis said on “Real Time with Bill Maher” on Friday. “We need to be held accountable for what this administration has done to this country with COVID-19 restrictions, mandates and lockdowns. Donald Trump will not do that.”
Maher and DeSantis found themselves in broad agreement on the coronavirus pandemic, a top topic among Republican governors.
DeSantis boasted that it was able to get lockdowns under control and reopen schools faster than almost any other state.
“You do handle it better … you’re more correct and they’re not going to believe you because of it,” Maher said. “That’s what I like about you.”
Maher was critical of some aspects of DeSantis’ record in Florida, specifically targeting his past support for 2020 election deniers such as Kari Lake, who is now running for an Arizona Senate seat. ).
“You’re campaigning in 2022 for someone who denies the election. To quote The Godfather, I can’t forgive that,” Maher said.
The governor countered, “In 2016, your friends in Hollywood were cutting ads telling the Electoral College to vote against Trump because it was stolen. They said Russia stole the election. They’ve been saying that for years.” So don’t act like this is something unique in the modern history of this country.”
The governor repeatedly won applause from Mach’s liberal audience.
