‘Globalist,’ Trump launches unprovoked attack on Ron DeSantis

Ron DeSantis, who’s considered a strong contender for the 2024 election, but has yet to announce his decision to run, is once again the target of former President Trump’s unprovoked attacks on his personal social media platform.

In a late night Sunday post on Truth Social, the former president’s personal social media platform, Trump accused the Florida governor of being a “globalist.”

“The Club For No Growth is a GLOBALIST group that I have been taking to the cleaners for years,” wrote Trump. “We worked together for a period, but they couldn’t get away from China, Europe, Asia, and part’s unknown."

He added: “They know I won’t play that game, I am America First all the way. That’s the ONLY way we MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Ron DeSanctimonious, who I made Governor in BOTH the Primary & the General, is also a Globalist, & so are his donors. Jeb ‘Low Energy’ Bush was next to him last week. Check PAST!”

Donald Trump is once again attacking Ron DeSantis. Now he’s calling DeSantis a globalist. pic.twitter.com/gBv5sIxMzx

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) January 30, 2023

As highlighted by conservative writer Pedro Gonzalez, Trump was more than eager to cavort with the head of the Club for Growth until the mid of 2020 when he had a falling out with the group over their refusal to support his endorsement of Dr. Oz for the Senate race in Pennsylvania. The group endorsed Kathy Barnette.

The head of Club for Growth "used to fly on Air Force One, get personal shout-outs from Donald Trump and boast to friends about his access to the former president." That only ended in 2022, meaning Trump was fine with the "GLOBALIST group" until they disagreed on Dr. Oz. Amazing. pic.twitter.com/tEnipVzGEQ

— Pedro L. Gonzalez (@emeriticus) January 30, 2023

You can do this with pretty much any statement Trump issues at this point. Whenever he attacks someone, just look them up and you'll see they were either previously endorsed by him or an advisor to him, like Karl Rove, who advised Trump in 2020, and who Trump is now attacking. pic.twitter.com/p8oKVpAQoJ

— Pedro L. Gonzalez (@emeriticus) January 30, 2023

Earlier in the day, Trump lobbed a variety of misleading accusations towards the Republican governor by ignoring his own controversial handling of the pandemic.

Trump accused DeSantis of locking down the state—a move that Trump himself recommended every governor to do during the height of the pandemic, earning him the nickname “Lockdown Don” among his conservative detractors. Trump strongly criticized Georgia Governor Brian Kemp for endangering the lives of Georgians when he chose to lift restrictions against Trump’s wishes in 2020.

He wrote:

“The revelations about Ron DeSanctimonious doing FAR WORSE than many other Republican governors, including that he unapologetically shut down Florida and its beaches, was interesting, indeed. DJT leading BIG!!!”

Trump, astonishingly, criticizes DeSantis for lockdowns, saying DeSantis “unapologetically shut down Florida and its beaches.”

This from the man who signed “15 days to slow the spread,” extended it, said he “disagreed strongly” with reopening Georgia, and has never apologized. pic.twitter.com/tFIVaRAT9E

— Michael P Senger (@MichaelPSenger) January 30, 2023

Former Trump ally and staunch conservative critic Ann Coulter mocked Trump for his remarks, pointing out that DeSantis refused to shut down the beaches in Florida despite pressure to do so during the pandemic.

Politico: Trump said DeSantis closed beaches in parts of FL.

On top of the facts, as usual. pic.twitter.com/QMY78FqbL2

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) January 30, 2023

“In March 2020, when Trump started the '15 days to slow the spread' under the guidance of CDC & Fauci, DeSantis limited gatherings on beaches to the Trump/Fauci recommendations,” wrote defense attorney Marina Medvin, who represents January 6 defendants.

“DeSantis never shut down all the Florida beaches. Trump is now critiquing history he himself created,” Medvin added.

In March 2020, when Trump started the “15 days to slow the spread” under the guidance of CDC & Fauci, DeSantis limited gatherings on beaches to the Trump/Fauci recommendations.

DeSantis never shut down all the Florida beaches.

Trump is now critiquing history he himself created. pic.twitter.com/9Qr0I750Gy

— Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 (@MarinaMedvin) January 30, 2023