Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis again doused the speculation that he would run as former President Donald Trump’s running mate this year.
According to the New York Post, DeSantis told supporters over a Zoom call that he would not be Trump’s pick for vice president.
“People were mentioning me [as his vice president]. I’m not doing that,” DeSantis said, when asked who he’d like to see Trump consider for the post.
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“I know some people are really actively seeking it,” he added during the call. “It seems to me, just from watching kind of the body language and stuff, that you have a handful of folks who seem to be auditioning for it.”
As the Tampa Free Press reported on Wednesday, Trump had said his short list for VP included DeSantis as well as South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, biotech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Rep. Byron Donalds of Naples, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, and former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard.
In that Zoom call, DeSantis claimed Trump may be considering his choice based on “identity politics.”
“I’ve heard that they are looking more at identity politics,” the Post reported of his call.
“I think that’s a mistake. I think you should just focus on who you think the best person for the job would be.”
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DeSantis had previously ruled out being Trump’s No. 2 in comments made in October and November.
As soon as his latest remarks became public, according to USA Today, Trump’s campaign responded on Thursday by saying DeSantis was in fact not on the former president’s short list.
Wednesday marked a month since DeSantis called it quits as a presidential candidate.
Yet in the Zoom call, he suggested he may be back in four years.
As the Post reported, DeSantis — whose term as governor is up in January 2027 — told the listeners that he hasn’t “ruled anything out” as far as 2028.
“We’re still in this election cycle, so it’s presumptuous to say this or that,” he said. “I think a lot happens in politics,” he added, and a “lot of people on the ground” in the early states in 2024 had shared that they would support him in the next election.
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