Former President Donald Trump claimed that the campaign of his top presidential primary opponent, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), is finished during an interview with Tucker Carlson Wednesday night.
The interview with Carlson, a former Fox News host, aired exactly at the same time as the Republican National Committee’s first primary debate aired on Fox News, a move meant to steal attention from Trump’s 2024 rivals.
UP FOR DEBATE: WHERE TRUMP, DESANTIS, AND REST OF REPUBLICAN 2024 FIELD STAND ON KEY ISSUES
“Look, DeSanctus is out. I think he’s gonzo. He was at a level, people have figured him out,” Trump said in a derogatory reference to DeSantis. “But if somebody else got in, other than me, they’ll go at him just as viciously as they did me.”
He continued, “These people are sick. They will go after them, and a lot of people say they won’t be able to hold up. I do get credit for holding up quite well, I must tell you.”
Trump also claimed that Fox News backed DeSantis over him, but he called the governor’s campaign a “lost cause.”
Trump dominates the primary field by double digits in most national and state polls, while DeSantis has faced several campaign problems related to finances, campaign staff, and strategy messaging. DeSantis has also seen his poll numbers decrease, while Trump’s have done the opposite, even as he has faced five indictments over four criminal cases in the past five months.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The former president called the indictments against him “a fraud” and “bulls***” and called Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis “horrible.” Willis indicted Trump and 18 others over allegations they attempted to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results.
Trump will turn himself in at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday, when he will have his mug shot and fingerprints taken. He remains the top candidate to become the GOP’s presidential nominee next year.
