DeSantis, in Private Call, Sounds Off on Trump and Conservative News Media

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida told supporters in a call on Wednesday that he would not want to be Donald J. Trump’s vice president, suggested it would be a “mistake” for Mr. Trump to consider “identity politics” in making his selection for a running mate and left wide open the door to a 2028 presidential run.

“I haven’t ruled anything out,” Mr. DeSantis said of a 2028 presidential run, as he outlined plans to stay involved in politics beyond Florida.

In a more than 30-minute call held to thank backers who had volunteered to serve as his presidential delegates, the governor was unusually candid in assessing his failed 2024 campaign a month after he dropped out of the race. He also sounded off on conservative news media outlets that he said had backed the former president over him.

He also spoke about “all the baggage Trump has” as a concern for Republicans headed into the fall, but said that President Biden was “going to be the gift that keeps on giving.”

And he expressed no regrets about his run for the party’s presidential nomination, though he was frustrated that “the race ended up being an incumbent race.”

“The dynamics of the race were, he kept getting indicted, and he drew more support out of sympathy for that,” Mr. DeSantis said of Mr. Trump at one point.