LOS ANGELES: On Thursday, days before the first vote in the White House selection process, two Republicans jockeying for a distant second place behind Donald Trump in their campaign to be party flagbearer took potshots at the former US president.
Just 11 days before Republican voters in Iowa make their choice, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley launched an attack on their party’s probable nominee. During back-to-back CNN “town hall” sessions, neither candidate mentioned the other much.
Instead, they both attempted to portray their respective candidacies as a stronger chance than Trump’s to unseat Democratic Vice President Joe Biden in the November presidential election.
Haley has increasingly appeared to be the mainstream Republican option for a faction of the party anxious to distance itself from Trump.
She cited polls on Thursday showing her with a double-digit lead against Biden in a general election, which she claimed would give her a mandate to enact Republican programs.
“No more excuses, we have a mandate to secure our border.” A mandate to restore law and order in our country, as well as a mandate for a strong America that we can be proud of.
“That’s what I think we need to do. It is time to move past president Trump and it is time to start focusing on how to strengthen America.”
DeSantis, who started 2023 flying high as the most likely non-Trump candidate in a crowded field but has since lost altitude, also sang a similar tune about the need to move on this November. “You don’t want it to be a referendum on Trump and the past,” he said.
“You want it to be a referendum on Biden’s failures, on our positive vision for this country. I offer that.” DeSantis also called out his one-time ally Trump for failing to campaign properly in Iowa, in contrast to his own efforts that have seen him visit all 99 counties in Iowa.
“Donald Trump’s not willing to show up on the debate stage,” he was quoted as saying. “Has he visited communities and answered questions, and has he visited all 99 counties?” Has he even visited nine counties? That is not the way to go.”
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Trump, 77, is accused of 91 felonies, including corporate fraud, mishandling secret materials, and a criminal conspiracy to rig the 2020 election. To the pleasure of his strong right-wing base, he has dismissed the claims as a political witch hunt.
Previously, party opponents held back, fearful of upsetting their support, but on Thursday, both candidates endorsed him. DeSantis criticized Trump on abortion in a bold move that is guaranteed to stir feathers in the overwhelmingly anti-abortion Republican Party.
“Of course not,” he replied when asked if Trump supported life. “When you’re saying that pro-life protections are a terrible thing, by definition, you are not pro-life.”
Haley addressed Trump’s legal problems, implying that if elected, she might pardon him. “Nobody gets pardoned if they’re not guilty,” she pointed out grimly. Despite their confident performances on Thursday, surveys show that both Haley and DeSantis have a long road ahead of them.
