Ron DeSantis Makes Bold Claim About What Trump’s Endorsers Tell Him In Private

Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis ® has claimed that some Donald Trump-endorsing Republicans have told him in private that they’ll actually vote for him instead of the former president in the GOP primary.

“I do know elected officials who encouraged me to run and say they’re going to vote for me in a primary but yet have endorsed Donald Trump,” the Florida governor told ABC’s Jonathan Karl on Sunday’s episode of “This Week.”

“That’s just the reality of the situation,” DeSantis added ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

Watch the video here:

DeSantis’ claim came after Karl read a quote from DeSantis-backing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who said the “majority” of Republicans who have come out for Trump are really just “scared of their own constituents” and fear Trump may “rile” them up and cost them their primary.

Trump is more fixated on loyalty to himself than conservatism, said DeSantis.

“What we can’t have as a party is that our movement is detached from the underlying principles and issues that we’re trying to advocate on behalf of the American people,” DeSantis said.

He added, “And I think Trump is trying to make it to where someone that kisses the ring, even if they’re not faithful to the core conservative values, somehow they’re a member in good standing just by doing that.”

Some 48% of respondents to a new NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll put Trump as their first choice.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley was the preferred option for 20% and DeSantis for 16%.

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