Gov. Ron DeSantis warns militant Islamic terrorism 'still very real'

                         

I still would have preferred DeSantis as our next president.

Hope he runs, and I hope he wins, in 2028.

Florida My America!

ICYMI: Gov. DeSantis Denounced Mass Legal Immigration and Illegal Immigration

Just so you know:

The irony is that DeSantis, it turns out, was and is the America First candidate that MAGA was looking for all along; and not that orange, liberal m, H-B1 loving, billionaire they have been blindly following.
pic.twitter.com/s3KCjjYTOx

— Dr. Pepper Texan (@DrPepperTexan) December 28, 2024

(TOLD YOU SO!)

🔥Ron DeSantis had it right on H1-B visas:

“I don’t support undercutting American wages, and the H1-B program has been used for that.”@VivekGRamaswamy, Musk, and Trump should take note.

pic.twitter.com/E0zGe89nl2

— Cryptid Politics (pro-DeSantis) 🇺🇸🐊 (@CryptidPolitics) December 28, 2024

Trump-DeSantis 2024, or I Will Write In DeSantis

 

When I was still on the Trump train in 2022, I remade an old 2020 campaign sign. I replaced Mike Pence, who should have returned the questionable Electoral results back to the key swing states, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. I displayed in the sign during a pro-life rally in Santa Monica. Not exactly the most welcoming venue, but I didn’t care. They would have been a dream team. And now, if Trump’s dream of returning to the White House is to have any chance of coming true, he needs to bring in Ron DeSantis.

Let’s not fool ourselves here. Trump barely carried the Iowa caucuses with 51% of the vote. In 1980, incumbent president Jimmy Carter almost captured 60% of the vote, but he had to fight US Senator Ted “Chappaquiddick” Kennedy al the way to the nomination. “The Dream will never die,” bellowed the Boston Brahmin, recognizing that his four years of machinations against Carter and for the presidency had all sunk in the Potomac. Then Carter went on to lose to Governor Ronald Reagan. Of course, Carter was also dealing with another liberal nattional party contender, Republican-turned-Independent Congressman John Anderson of Illinois, who very likely siphoned away enough votes for Reagan to upend the incumbent.

The disaffected third-party candidates make the difference. In 1992, George H. W. Bush got dragged down from his right by Patrick J. Buchanan, who wanted more culture war and a return to lower taxes for working Americans. Independent Ross Perot siphoned votes away, and Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton knocked out the GOP incumbent.

In Election 2024, we are looking at at least three strong or well-known independents and third-party challengers: Robert Kennedy, Cornel West, and Jill Stein. They are all left-leaning, although Kennedy is reaching out to disaffected Republicans and Democrats by stressing the importance of health freedom and civil liberties. Joe Biden is in trouble. If the No Labels Movement brings in Joe Manchin, then Democrats are in really big trouble. Yes, Joe Biden can lose 2024.

However with the ongoing unfavorables weighing down Trump, it’s all too likely that voters will stick with the Devil they know and vote for Joe for four more years. Furthermore, there is nothing to stop the DNC from releasing the delegates from Joe Biden to someone else, i.e. Gavin Newsom, Michelle Obama, who will be even more competitive than Biden, who is mired in favorable percentages in the 30’s. Kamala Harris will get pushed aside for the other black woman whose magical last name will charm the voters, and Democratic woke enthusiasts will be thrilled to vote for TWO black women on the ticket. Oh, the significance of the passage of time!

But back to the Iowa and now the New Hampshire results.

Trump won 51% of Iowa caucus voters, and 54% of New Hampshire voters. Yes, the horrific weather contributed to the lower Iowa turnout, but Governor DeSantis shared with Steve Deace in a post-mortem interview that a number of prior caucus goers were foregoing the exercise this year. They wanted someone else, but they felt that Trump’s ascendancy was inevitable, so they didn’t go. With all of these mitigating factors, Trump still scored 51% of the vote. Only 51%!

That’s 49% that voted for someone else, and the remainer was nearly evenly split between Nikki Haley and DeSantis. I predict that that division is only going to fester for the remainder of the primary season. Yes, NeoCon Nikki, propped up with corporate money and fawning corporate media, will run this campaign as long as she can. Big donors from the military-industrial complex have the money to burn, and Nikki has nothing but time and lobbyist jobs waiting for her once this primary ends.

Trump needs to coalesce a still fractured GOP, and the best way to do that is to bring Governor Ron DeSantis onto the ticket. There’s 20-25% of the Republican electorate—including myself—that is not on board with Trump. If necessary, I am prepared to write in Ron DeSantis, and let the election results land where they may in November. Trump can’t ignore the fact that DeSantis is Trump with results, more polished on the campaign trail, without the baggage, willing to do what is best for the team. He has already endorsed President Trump, and he has lost nothing of his conservative, constitutionalist swagger which made him a Republican rockstar.

Trump needs to heal the divide BEFORE the convention. Incumbent Gerald Ford in 1976 faced a bitterly divided conference all the way to the convention, then pulled off the win on the first ballot. Conservatives were not happy, even though Governor Reagan took the podium, celebrated the RNC platform’s bold colors, and gave a subtle endorsement for the Ford-Dole ticket. Ford still lost. Imagine if Ford had brought Reagan onto the ticket. Maybe then we would have never had to suffer through a Carter presidency!

Trump and his campaign have burned so many bridges. Trump’s influencers have been particularly petty. A wide swath of them don’t want any olive branch extended to the DeSantis people. Even on my little social media feeds, I still get blowback from other Republicans who can’t believe that I would rather settle for four more years of Dementia Joe than Donald Trump. But the acrimony is still there. The lack of trust is palpable. Trump didn’t keep promises during his first term. Whether due to his own incompetence or the insolence of the executive corps around him, he failed. The best way to restore any kind of trust is to bring on a tried-and-true conservative warrior who can also serve as GOP successor.

So, President Trump, the choice is yours. Do you want a chance at winning again? You can’t make it on  your own record. Bring on Governor Ron DeSantis for the VP slot. Then you will have my vote. Otherwise, I am totally at peace writing in the Governor of Florida and resigning myself to four more years of Biden failures.

Letter to the Editor: Completely Wrong on Assessment of Trump

Letter to the Editor:

First, I am 56 years old and was born and raised in California. With the exception of the four years I was stationed in South Carolina I lived and raised my kids in California. I retired from State employment in 2016 after 22 years when my injuries from a major submarine accident in the Navy forced me to retire early. In 2018 we left California as we could bo longer stomach the stupidity of the communist rule there.

I just read your opinion piece about Ron DeSantis leaving the race. I feel you are completely wrong in your assessment concerning Trump and the presidential race. DeSantis promised his constituents that if they gave him a second term he would fulfill the entirety of that term. I know a lot of people in Florida that wouldn't support him on that basis alone. As far as Trump failing to meet all of his promises; so the constant attacks from the communist Dems and RINOs in your estimation had nothing to do with his inability to accomplish his goals? There hasn't been any President since Lincoln that has had as much hate thrown at him as Trump. The leftists will never be punished for what they did to the election in 2020. They and the RINOs will continue the same evil deeds unless they are stopped. Trump being reelected will send a very loud message and maybe a majority of the Republicans in that swamp will run with it and fight to make the changes that need to be started. For way too long that swamp has been out of control and Trump is the one with the biggest mouth and strongest constitution that will be able to get the changes started. I don't like many of the attacks that come from Trumps mouth, but he needs to be the one to go back and get the changes he thinks need to be done started in the right direction. Otherwise the RINOs and communists will have won & from now on they will use the same playbook to destroy ANYONE that they believe threatens their established rule over us subjects. 

--Rick Neault

Rick:

Thanks for your letter. I am still surviving here in California. I notice your 530 area code. Are you from Redding, Siskiyou, Modoc?

Responding to some of your charges:

When did Governor Ron DeSantis promise to fulfill his second term, not run for President? He never made any pledge during the 2022 debates against Charlie Crist. If you can find that statement, then prove me wrong.

Regarding the attacks on Trump and his inability to keep his promises:

1. He strong-armed many members of Congress to get The First Step Act. He could have done that with immigration, but didn't.
2. Most of the laws empowering the President on border security already exist. They need to be enforced, but Trump did not do that.
3. He could have taxed the remittances to Mexico to pay for the wall, but not only did he NOT do that, he made excuses about not doing it.

Yes, Abraham Lincoln faced a lot of hate, but he still got the job done.

Trump locked down the country following the COVID-19 outbreak. He didn't have to, and he even urged Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp as well as Gov. DeSantis to reinstate health mandates. He went along with all of it, undermining our constitutional Republic.

You talk about the Swamp being out of control. Could not agree with you more. Yet you have chief swamp creatures like Lindsey Graham who are supporting ... TRUMP! Please explain why that does not concern you. Don't forget that Trump signed off on not one, not two, but THREE bad budget bills, including the last one in 2020, which funded the Biden regime for nearly a year. Trump could have vetoed every one of those terrible budgets. He holds the blame for that, for the COVID lockdowns, for the $8 trillion increase in the national debt, for doing nearly nothing during the George Floyd riots. I notice that you have not refuted my criticisms of the President on those fronts.

In too many cases, Trump was his own worst enemy, picking fights where not needed, making big promises then backing away from them, and then making excuses for not getting things done.

And again, you have not refuted my points about Trump v. DeSantis. You confirm my argument, that many current Trump supporters are driven more by emotion and identity politics than reason, policy, or attention to detail.

Thanks for writing, and I will be sharing this letter.

Sincerely,

Arthur Schaper

Really, What is Wrong With American Voters?

The Iowa caucuses are over. Trump won over his closest rival by double-digits, two-to-one over Governor Ron DeSantis.

I wish the Governor of Florida the best, but let's face it: this primary is over. Granted, the Iowa caucuses have not been the strongest indicator of who the GOP nominee would be in many elections. In all those cases, however, you did not have a former incumbent running for re-election. This time, the indication is clear: Trump is going to be the GOP nominee.

Trump got 52% of the vote, and DeSantis straggled behind in a distant second with 21% of the vote. This election loss is a shellacking for DeSantis. I believe that he will "Never Back Down," and he will stay true to his core commitment to fight all the way. Good for him. He is a worthy presidential candidate.

The problem is that the voters are not worthy voters. American voters turned down the greatest governor in a generation. 

Let me explain.

In 2016, I had supported Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker for Presidente because he accomplished unprecedented reforms and advanced a robust conservative agenda for his time. Walker took on Big Labor in the Progressive epicenter of the United States (for the record, it was not California where the Progressive political movement took off, but Wisconsin). Walker won three statewide victories in what was then recognized as a blue state, including a bitter recall battle, in a state that voted for the Democrat presidential nominee every election since 1988. Walker continued to get the job done expanding gun rights, cutting taxes, cutting spending, paying down massive debt, expanding worker rights, school choice, protecting life and families: everything a conservative could  want from a governor and a future president.

On the presidential trail, he fizzled out in September 2015, over-extending his resources without honing a strong, pugilist populist message against frontrunner Donald J. Trump.

In 2023 and into this year, DeSantis corrected all those campaign mistakes. He properly apportioned his campaign funding. He fought the media hard and won. He went after Trump and all his failures and false promises. He did the Full Grassley, he connected with everyday voters, he stepped up for every debate. He is a masterful communicator, refreshing if not riveting. Yet for all that, Iowa GOP caucus voters said "No thank you," and voted for the former incumbent.

DeSantis did everything right, and he still lost. The fault, dear reader, is not in the candidate, but in the voters. They see themselves as underlings who need Trump again. They long for the Trump administration, with its lower taxes, cheap gas, better economy, etc. Yet for some reason, they have no problem forgetting about COVID, all the broken promises, the bad management in the White House, his failure to secure the border, etc. For some reason, nothing is ever Trump's fault, and it doesn't matter that he didn't get the job done the first time.

Unlike Scott Walker, Ron DeSantis accomplished even more conservative reforms with a broader constitutional vision. For the record, Scott Walker went all in for corporate handouts. He provided taxpayer subsidies to sports arenas, and he was supporting The Trans Pacific Partnership economic program, which would have pushed more American jobs overseas. He was for more immigration, but following a massive backlash among primary voters, he switched gears and spoke out forcefully against amnesty. I was willing to trust him then because he repealed the DREAM Act in Wisconsin. In sharp contrast, DeSantis accomplished more robust reforms on immigration, life, the Second Amendment, the rule of state government in the livees of everyday Floridians, plus the fact that he stood up to Big Business and Big Labor and won! DeSantis is Walker on steroids, and Trump with results.

Where Walker reformed universities by cutting their funding and forcing them to streamline their spending, DeSantis focused on ideological changes so that they stopped churning out Marxist activists. DeSantis enacted constitutional carry and repealed gun control measures. DeSantis boldly and triumphantly declared: "Florida is where woke goes to die," and it is dying. The biggest promoted of woke cultural marxism is in fully collapse, as the Florida Democratic Party faces the same fate as the California Republican Party: becoming a controlled, dessicated, destroyed opposition movement that cannot muster a statewide election win in the near future.

And yet, Iowa voters went with Trump in 2024.

What is going on here?

A stunning and sobering reality, when it comes to politics, campaigns, and elections, Republicans are the liberals, while Democrats are the business-minded conservatives. Democrats assess the costs, the strategies, the efforts needed to get the job done. They invest campaign funding where they are most likely to flip a seat and win an election. They will search for every resource, legal and extra-legal, to win the election. 

Democrats have to win to fulfill their promises. Republicans don't really have to win to get their supporters what they want. Darren Beattie and Congressman Andy Biggs furnished a great analysis of grift and graft in politics. For Democrats, the grift is taxpayer dollars, so they have to win elections to hand out the spoils. For Republicans, for the Right in general, the campaign itself is the grift. Consultants get 15% of the campaign funds, whether their candidate wins or loses. The incentive to win is not nearly as strong, and it doesn't matter in the long run. Also, many grassroots Republicans are more interested in conferences and gatherings, taking photos with media influencers are getting a chance to meet a Congressman. They just want to party.

Republicans often donate money to candidates because they are taking on big, bad Democratic monsters like Maxine Waters and Nancy Pelosi. It feels good. However, those Republican candidates don't have a chance against entrenched incumbents in uber-liberal Congressional districts. Voters would be better served donating their funds to candidates in swing districts, but most Republican voters go with "Look at the black conservative running against Maxine Waters!" or "I want to support that young lady running against Nancy Pelosi!" It's identity politics and emotion all the way. That kind of thinking does not win the war. You have to maintain a cold, rugged, naked desire to win power, and to use the best strategies to get that power. Governor DeSantis understand this desire for power, but the GOP voting electorate does not. 

Let's look back to what a real winner DeSantis is.

DeSantis destroyed the Democratic Party in Florida. He didn't just score big wins for the Florida GOP and enact a robust agenda. You have hundreds of thousands of voters switching their registration or joining the Florida Republican Party. They are winning over county after county, and they are achieving unprecedented gains throughout the state. Democrats want to turn their states into one-party fiefdoms. Only Governor DeSantis has shown a robust attention to this kind of total victory against Woke, Cultural Marxism, and Racialized Communism.

He doesn't just fight, he doesn't just win, he wins bigly and demoralizes the Left.

And Iowa GOP voters went forT rump. Sad.

This outcome reminds me of a reality TV show in which a lucky lady gets to choose between two eligible bachelors. One is a wealthy investor, owns a home, multiple properties, has a strong, steady career, but he's a nerd. The other guy is a buff weightlifter, good looking and charismatic, but still loves at home with his parents.

DeSantis would be the best of both of those eligible bachelors. He is good on TV, he makes strong points, he has a vision for the future. He wins big culturally, economically, and even spiritually. Politically speaking, he is wise and good-lucking. And yet, the voters are turning down the rich stud and going with a flabby sellout who talks big and accomplishes little.

Why?

It all comes down to identity politics and feelings. Worse, it's like the domestic violence victims who have become so attached to their trauma, who identity all too closely with their abuser, that they cannot see themselves living with anyone else, or getting someone better. There are serious problems in the American voting electorate at this point. They are so desperate for former times, that they will take the wife-beater who at least paid the bills and provided a roof over their head versus Prince Charming who won't treat them like trash.

Instead of reason and research, voters are going with nostalgia and coping. They want to feel good, and they want to believe that they are saving the country because they show up to vote once every four years and watch Fox News faithfully. Not going to happen, and many of these voters are going to learn the hard way that feelings, thoughts, prayers, and lots of hope do not win elections and do not shape the culture.

Governor DeSantis was the president we needed, but not the President that the United States deserves. Iowa voters missed their opportunity to elect the most consistently conservative candidate in a generation, if not an entire century, because they wanted to chase the headlines and feel good about themselves. The problem was not the candidate, but the voters, and changing the voters is going to take much longer than one election cycle.

Ron DeSantis: The President the US Needed, But Didn’t Deserve

The Iowa caucuses are over. Trump won over his closest rival by double-digits, two-to-one over Governor Ron DeSantis.

I wish the Governor of Florida the best, but let's face it: this primary is over. Granted, the Iowa caucuses have not been the strongest indicator of who the GOP nominee would be in many elections. In all those cases, however, you did not have a former incumbent running for re-election. This time, the indication is clear: Trump is going to be the GOP nominee.

The problem is not the candidate, but Republicans, who are rejecting the greatest governor in a generation for a has-been.

In 2016, I had supported Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker for President because he accomplished unprecedented reforms and advanced a robust conservative agenda for his time. On the presidential trail, he fizzled out in September 2015, over-extending his resources without honing a strong, pugilist populist message against frontrunner Donald J. Trump.

In 2023 and into this year, DeSantis corrected all those campaign mistakes. He properly apportioned his campaign funding. He fought the media hard and won. He went after Trump and all his failures and false promises. He did the Full Grassley, he connected with everyday voters, he stepped up for every debate. He is a masterful communicator, refreshing if not riveting. Yet for all that, Iowa GOP caucus voters said "No thank you," and voted for the former incumbent.

DeSantis did everything right, and he still lost. The fault, dear reader, is not in the candidate, but in the voters. They see themselves as underlings who need Trump again. They long for the Trump administration, with its lower taxes, cheap gas, better economy, etc. Yet for some reason, they have no problem forgetting about COVID, all the broken promises, the bad management in the White House, his failure to secure the border, etc. For some reason, nothing is ever Trump's fault, and it doesn't matter that he didn't get the job done the first time.

What is going on here?

A stunning and sobering reality, when it comes to politics, campaigns, and elections, Republicans are the liberals, while Democrats are the business-minded conservatives. Democrats assess the costs, the strategies, the efforts needed to get the job done. They invest campaign funding where they are most likely to flip a seat and win an election. They will search for every resource, legal and extra-legal, to win the election. 

Democrats have to win to fulfill their promises. Republicans don't really have to win to get their supporters what they want. Darren Beattie and Congressman Andy Biggs furnished a great analysis of grift and graft in politics. For Democrats, the grift is taxpayer dollars, so they have to win elections to hand out the spoils. For Republicans, for the Right in general, the campaign itself is the grift. Consultants get 15% of the campaign funds, whether their candidate wins or loses. The incentive to win is not nearly as strong, and it doesn't matter in the long run. Also, many grassroots Republicans are more interested in conferences and gatherings, taking photos with media influencers or getting a chance to meet a Congressman. They just want to party.

But let’s reflect on what a winner DeSantis is.

DeSantis destroyed the Democratic Party in Florida. He didn't just score big wins for the Florida GOP and enact a robust agenda. Hundreds of thousands of voters are joining the Florida Republican Party, taking over county after county, and they are achieving unprecedented gains throughout the state. Democrats seek to turn their states into one-party fiefdoms. Republican Governor DeSantis has shown a robust attention to this kind of total victory against Woke, Cultural Marxism, and Racialized Communism.

He doesn't just fight, he doesn't just win, he wins bigly and demoralizes the Left.

Yet Iowa GOP voters went for Trump. Sad.

This outcome reminds me of a reality TV show in which a lucky lady gets to choose between two eligible bachelors. One is a wealthy investor, owns a home, multiple properties, has a strong, steady career, but he's a nerd. The other guy is a buff weightlifter, good looking and charismatic, but still loves at home with his parents.

DeSantis would be the best of both of those eligible bachelors. He is good on TV, he makes strong points, he has a vision for the future. He wins big culturally, economically, and even spiritually. Politically speaking, he is wise and good-looking. And yet, the voters are turning down the rich stud and going with a flabby sellout who talks big and accomplishes little.

Why?

It all comes down to identity politics and feelings. It reminds me of domestic violence victims who have become so attached to their trauma, who identity all too closely with their abuser, that they cannot see themselves living with anyone else, or getting someone better. There are serious problems in the American voting electorate at this point. They are so desperate for former times, that they will take the wife-beater who at least paid some bills and provided a roof over their head versus Prince Charming who won't treat them like trash.

Instead of reason and research, voters are going with nostalgia and coping. They want to feel good, and they want to believe that they are saving the country because they show up to vote once every four years and watch Fox News faithfully. That does not equal victory, and many of these voters are going to learn the hard way that feelings, thoughts, prayers, and lots of hope do not win elections and cannot shape the culture.

Governor DeSantis was the president we needed, but not the President that the United States deserves. Iowa voters missed their opportunity to elect the most consistently conservative candidate in a generation, if not an entire century, because they wanted to chase the headlines and feel good about themselves. The problem was not the candidate, but the voters, and changing the voters is going to take much longer than one election cycle.

Scott Morefield: It's Over

This is a hard truth to accept, but here's where we are:

To fellow Ron DeSantis supporters who still think there’s a chance: He visited every county. He and his PAC spent tens of millions of dollars door knocking and organizing what seemed like a solid ground campaign. He had the support of a popular governor and key conservative media…

— Scott Morefield (@SKMorefield) January 16, 2024

DeSantis put the most work of any candidate in a generation to win Iowa.

He practically lived there. He went to every county, he got many of the key endorsements from Iowa lawmakers, including the unprecedented endorsement from Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.

Ron DeSantis worked hard, and it didn't pay off.

I agree with Scott Morefield at this point: it's over.

Trump will romp New Hampshire, and he will sweep South Carolina. The momentum has been established in Iowa, plus the strength of the President's former incumbency.

The factors are too strong for any contender to overcome.

I wish Governor DeSantis the best. I am so grateful for his service to the state of Florida, and his example to the rest of the country. He is still a winner to me, and I think that he will prosper in whatever he pursues. This country had so much opportunity awaiting with a DeSantis Presidency, but the voters in Iowa have set the stage for a Trump comeback, and another Trump defeat in November.

Steve Deace Analyzes DeSantis Momentum

I am going to leave this post here:

If you are a precinct captain for @RonDeSantis in the #IowaCaucus here are some great points to make to voters IMO:

1) There’s a reason Florida had the red wave the rest of the country didn’t in the midterms, and DeSantis won the largest landslide in Florida history — he’s the…

— Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) January 15, 2024

Deace provides great analysis, for sure.

Governor Ron DeSantis Town Hall on CNN, January 4th, 2024

                

Trump is Nothing but Excuses (DeSantis is Nothing but Results)

I have been waiting for months for this advertisement to hit the airwaves.

excuses:pic.twitter.com/PADsqilrfe

— Thomas Massie for Congress (@MassieforKY) January 6, 2024

I am tired of Trump's excuses.

I am tired of all the major promises that he had made in 2016, but he didn't keep throughout his one term in office.

I am tired of politicians who say that they are not politicians, and then in the most political of fashions make excuses for not doing what they said they would do.

I am really confused and dismayed with so many current Trump supporters who are all in on Trump after these three to four years of Trump in the wilderness all while he continues to make excuses for not getting the job done, then attacking conservative groups and sentiments from voters across the country.

Donald Trump said that there would be so much winning, we would get tired of winning. After the poor election results in 2018, 2020, and 2022 (and let's throw in Virginia 2023 for bad measure), I am tired of losing.

And I am tired of losing with a retired incumbent who does not learn from his mistakes, who brought in all kinds of bad people into the Executive Branch during his tenure, who has shown no interested in surrounding himself with better people, who lies to the public about his bad decisions and bad personnel choices, only to demand more loyalty in the face of all-but certain doom on Election Day 2024.

Republicans, constitutionalists, conservatives of all backgrounds: we can do better than Trump.

We can do better than lame excuses and half-measures.

This time I mean it: Dump the Donald. 

Trump is Not a Threat to Democracy, Unless You Count His Do-Nothing Tenure

Former President Donald Trump is not a threat to democracy. He is not a dictator by any stretch. In fact, when he had the power to restore law and order in the country (not just tweet about it), he didn't do anything.

Dictators dictate, not rely on empty diktat to give the impression that they are doing something.

He was a weak leader, especially during the last year of his Presidency.

He didn't take charge of the corruption, and he didn't clean out all the crap in Washington DC.

In fact, too much of his authority and decision-making, he delegated to other people.

We got tax cuts because then-Speaker Paul Ryan wanted to get the tax cuts through.

We got better justices because the Federalist Society provided an excellent list of judicial nominees.

Would that Trump had brought in someone like Kris Kobach or Pat Buchanan to take care of immigration policy, this country would have been in a better place.

Now, check out how Governor Ron DeSantis slams Trump perfectly on this issue of inaction:

DeSantis on Morning Joe.
Hosts: "Is Trump a threat to Democracy?"
DeSantis (summarized): What are you talking about? Trump got rolled!pic.twitter.com/pxpibjxs6X

— Justin Hart (@justin_hart) December 18, 2023

Indeed, Trump got rolled, but here's specifically what DeSantis said: 

"I think Donald Trump didn't take some of the action he could have constitutionally taken. I look back: 'What didn't he do?'"

Then DeSantis lists the fact that Trump didn't build the wall, he didn't fire bad people, and he didn't really break the administrative state. "He deferred a lot of his presidency to these people that he now criticizes."

And you've gotta love Steve Deace's sharp take on everything, too!

Facts, and what happened Trump's final year in office -- when he got bent over by both Fauci and "mostly peaceful protests" like a Senate staffer shooting an amateur porn video -- confirms it. https://t.co/AgK9irJqeG

— Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) December 18, 2023

Somewhate off-color, but the truth must be told. Trump got taken to the cleaners. He was ruled over, and over-ruled by, bad people in the White House. He brought them into his inner circle! He let bad people come into the inner workings of the executive branch, and too many of them put their own little, petty interests ahead of the well-being of the country.

The more I look back on the Trump Presidency, the more I see a Reality TV Show host who was in it for the fame, the glam, the glory. He wanted to take nice photos of himself in front of leaders, heads of state, etc. But he was not interested in actually governing.

And that's where Governor--yes GOVERNOR--Ron DeSantis steps in to stand in the gap, to fill the void.

If you think I am being too hard on Trump, listen to him admit that he "stood by and watched" the major cities in our country burn:

TRUMP: “I stood by and I watched Minneapolis, I watched Portland, I watched so many different places just burn, burn, violently burn.” pic.twitter.com/Vu0c54vQ4s

— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) December 18, 2023

Trump stood by and just watched. He allowed police stations burn to the ground. He allowed autonomous zones to spring up in major cities, as well, which permitted outright lawlessness in their boundaries. How many innocent lives died? How much corruption and dysfunction did Trump allow to fester in these cities without taking any action at all?

In stark and welcome contrast during the George Floyd riots of 2020, Gov. DeSantis took charge immediately, shut down violent protests, and even called a special session of the state legislature to stiffen penalties for rioting in the state of Florida. That is leadership.

For the record, shortly after his own inauguration, Argentina's President Javier Milei has issued clear orders and directives against violent, disruptive protests in his country. He has gone so far as to threaten protesters, individual and group, with costly fees if they force the government to come out in large number, in force to protect the country.

‘Prison or bullet’: new Argentina government promises harsh response to protest https://t.co/wGxVeY5HTZ

— Guardian news (@guardiannews) December 17, 2023

That's the promise that governments should make the general public when law and order is threatened in the streets. DeSantis got the job done in Florida, and Milei is getting the job done in Argentina. That is leadership! Trump's tenure was marred by his inaction and his do-nothing stances throughout 2020. Not acceptable. We can do better, but no one should call Trump a dictator!

Trump Doesn't Get It — DeSantis Does

The Night before Election Day 2016, I wrote "What I Like About Trump, and Why You need to Vote for Him." I mentioned that he was the street brawler we needed, not the professional we wanted, who would clean house, not just keep house. He did an estimable job. But, unfortunately, the 2020 election was stolen, and Joe Biden is a brazen usurper. 

If Trump wants the 2024 nomination, though, he must learn from Odysseus in Homer's eponymous epic poem. Sure, the suitors took him for dead and took over his home. Odysseus was the rightful king of the castle, but he had to fight for it. Instead of staging an epic comeback, Trump has turned into a cantankerous deposed monarch who thinks we should restore him to the throne. That's not how politics works. Andrew Jackson was denied the Presidency in 1824 due to a Corrupt Bargain in the House of Representatives. Old Hickory didn't pout but plotted, planned, and won the Presidency in 1828.  

Trump needs a primary. I want a knock-down drag-out fight for the GOP brass ring. And right now, Trump is not earning it. Instead, he reminds me of former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie past his first-term prime: lots of bluster, no muster. 

Trump still surrounds himself with bad people. They told him to endorse Congressman Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) in a fraught primary when the opponent was the real deal. Gonzales is now talking up open borders and voted against the House Rules package effected by the dedicated MAGA populists in Congress. 

Trump lined up behind McCarthy for Speaker and expected everyone to follow. The next generation of America First politicians knows you never settle but fight for more. Trump inaugurated a movement, but now the movement is moving past him. Nothing showed this more than conservative Congressman Matt Rosendale (R-Montana) dismissing the former President's plea by phone on the floor of the House. Conversely, Trump refused to weigh in on the RNC Chairmanship, the more consequential race. DeSantis did, even if his candidate lost. Leadership means fighting for what's right, even if the outcome is likely lost. 

Trump tells South Carolina: "Let's go after the Deep State, the Democrats, and the RINOs." And standing next to him during that rant? Lindsey Graham, the biggest Deep State Democrat RINO in the country. Former Governor Sarah Palin tells DeSantis to "wait your turn." It sounds like McCain-Establishment Kool-Aid talk to me. Oh Yeah! She abandoned her governorship, couldn't get elected to Congress, but wants to play king-maker? Hit the road, Mammy Grizzly. 

Politics is not the Art of the Deal; it's the Art of "I Win, and You Lose." Trump still doesn't get this, either. DeSantis does. DeSantis has accomplished the most aggressive, radically right-wing agenda of any governor: a pro-growth, low-tax agenda and bear-hugging culture wars. He has beaten down Big Business, Big Pharma, Big Labor, and Big Academia. As a result, the little guy in Florida feels like "The Man," and they have DeSantis' leadership to thank for that. 

He outlawed sanctuary cities with more vigorous enforcement. He signed into law E-Verify mandates. He has taken on the Florida teacher's unions with gusto, pushing for more limits on their political power. He has been pressing for gun freedoms in a state gun-shy on the Second Amendment for the last twenty years. His Parents Rights in Education Bill has inspired similar reforms across the country. DeSantis is a conservative, and even Democratic voters support him!  

His election reforms are impeccable, too. Trump tweeted and whined about voter fraud during Election 2020. As soon as he was elected, DeSantis removed the corrupt Registrar of Voters in Palm Beach County, then cleaned up the election laws. Despite banning ballot trafficking and universal mass mail-in voting, DeSantis wisely recognizes that if "legal cheating" exists in your state, USE IT. Only recently has Trump joined this bandwagon. Trump is playing catch-up, while DeSantis has already caught on. 

Politics requires a keen sense of what works, what's possible, and knowing what is going on. At this point, one wonders if Trump is paying attention. It's 2023, not 2015. Riding an escalator doesn't impress anymore. I want results, and DeSantis is outdoing Trump on many fronts.  

Trump still pushes the vaccine. DeSantis has said, "Stop!" Trump locked down the country, but DeSantis reversed course within two weeks, and Florida enjoyed unprecedented freedom with little COVID-19 backlash. Leadership changes when things aren't working and learns from circumstances. DeSantis has led on stopping the sex mutilation of minors and LGBT indoctrination, too, and opposed the DIS-Respect for Marriage Act. Trump went all in on this anti-family folly, then celebrated with the Log Cabin Republicans at Mar-a-Lago, rebuffing the evangelical voters who got him elected. 

President Trump has become all talk, selling NFTs. DeSantis is walking the walk, guaranteed. He is smarter with the media, too. Trump slugged at the media but then got dirty with them. DeSantis sets up press conferences with supporters. He silences biased reporters with quick quips while humiliating Joe Biden. DeSantis doesn't rush to corporate media's camera for attention. He rolls them, then steamrolls them. 

From Congress to the Governor's mansion, DeSantis has been on a mission to accomplish. Today's populist Republican party grassroots are tired of politicians who want us to feel good; no more RINOs who say the right things on Fox News, then screw us over with betrayals and broken promises. DeSantis promises and keeps delivering. We need a president who wins, not just retains what little remains once Biden is gone. 

Trump was a street brawler, but DeSantis is a UFC fighter: sleeker, less flashy, but executes the win quicker, faster, and more robust. We need results, not rhetoric. I don't want rallies; I want to win elections and the culture war. I am not interested in the establishment (and yes, Trump is turning into their latest successor). DeSantis looks like the man to be President and the man to beat.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Glenn Beck (Excellent Segment)

Governor Ron DeSantis lays out his complete plan to change Washington, deal with the swamp, clean out the corruption, and restore our country. It's now or never, at this point. 

Will the voters give him a chance? Or will they go with the old, and let Biden have four more years?

Holy cow! This is so 🔥🔥🔥

Ron DeSantis is an effective, determined, bold, intelligent, mature, proven, conservative leader with integrity.

I’m #withDeSantis because 👇#DeSantis2024

Video credit: The Glenn Beck Program pic.twitter.com/jiqmtn7xjn

— Jo Thomas (@rthomas86) November 17, 2023

Gov. Kim Reynolds Explains Endorsement for Gov. Ron DeSantis

Hi Arthur, My mission as Iowa's governor has been simple: Keep Iowa moving forward. As a governor, it was my honor to welcome the candidates to Iowa for the first-in-the-nation caucus. But as a mother and a grandmother—as an American—I can’t stand on the sidelines. This election is too important. Joe Biden has turned America upside down, and we need a President who will keep AMERICA moving forward. There is only one candidate in this race that I trust to get the job done: Ron DeSantis. I'm ENDORSING Ron DeSantis. Will you join me? I am proud to support Ron DeSantis to be our next President of the United States of America. He's put in the work in Iowa, well on his way toward making a stop in all 99 counties. And I know as our next President, he will put in the work to fight, win, and lead America's comeback! DONATE $24 DONATE $47 DONATE $100 DONATE $250 Donate today to join me in supporting Ron DeSantis! I know we all have our reasons for who we're supporting, but I want you to hear from me on why he has earned my endorsement: He understands putting the people he serves first: I watched Ron DeSantis stand up for the freedom, finances, and future of his people. Throughout COVID-19, he fought to keep his state open despite all the heat that Fauci, Democrats, and the DC establishment threw his way - just like we did, he fought for freedom.  He's a proven champion for fiscal conservatism and running a thriving economy: In Iowa and Florida, we've provided an example to the nation of what it looks like to run an economy with a budget surplus, so we can return taxpayer dollars back to hardworking families. This is how it should be done. That’s not controversial - it’s common sense! Ron DeSantis is the only candidate FIGHTING for parents' rights: As parents themselves, Ron and Casey have set the example to protect the rights of parents to raise and educate their kids as they see fit. This is not something our next President should compromise on, and I know Ron DeSantis won't comprise. Children belong to parents, NOT the government. Ron DeSantis has been a consistent fighter for women and girls: Under Ron DeSantis' leadership, Florida helped lead the way in putting a stop to the absurdity of men unfairly competing in women's sports. I am proud to say that in both Iowa and Florida, no girls will ever have their dreams ripped away because they're forced to compete against biological males. And I know as President, Ron DeSantis will protect women's sports! Arthur, I hope you'll join me in supporting Ron DeSantis. Now is the time to get involved. Whether it's putting up a yard sign, calling your neighbor, or chipping in $25, your support will go a long way toward helping DeSantis out! Sincerely,   Kim Reynolds Governor of Iowa