In June, Politico distributed a pyramid graphic of the 2024 Republican Presidential candidates. Former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis were listed as “the favorites,” with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Senator Tim Scott in “the contenders” category.
New to the political arena, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy was placed in the “longshot” category with former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and current Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, among others.
Times change. Now DeSantis is a distant second and Ramaswamy is on the move. This weekend, The New York Times reported that Ramaswamy is experiencing a “recent surge in the polls” after the debate strategy memo from DeSantis’s Super PAC was released calling for the Florida Governor to defend Trump and ‘sledgehammer’ Ramaswamy. The Super PAC namechecking sparked a Ramaswamy surge that comes right before Wednesday’s first Republican primary debate.
But conservative pundit Ann Coulter — who interviews DeSantis on her podcast, Unsafe — is less worried about Ramaswamy than DeSantis’s Super PAC is. (She dismisses Ramaswamy as a “suck up to Trump.”)
No wonder Ramaswamy is such a suck-up to Trump. https://t.co/6Ma1F0VH3D
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) August 21, 2023
Promoting the DeSantis interview, Coulter takes the Florida Governor through debate prep and advises him how to deal with the former President as a subject. Coulter says that rather than defend Trump, DeSantis should ignore him.
As heard in the clip below, Coulter recommends that DeSantis stick to his perceived strengths on three topics, telling the Governor: “You should bring every answer back to immigration, crime or Covid. And don’t answer any questions about Trump.”
When Coulter adds, “If they ask you about these indictments, (say) ‘the only thing he should be indicted for is not building the wall,'” DeSantis laughs.
How many Qs will the candidates get on crime at the Fox debate — compared to Ukraine and Trump?
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) August 21, 2023
Full interview with DeSantis here – https://t.co/YG3eiPUMJT pic.twitter.com/Zi33QxKAP3
The 2024 Republican presidential candidates who have (so far) qualified to participate in the debate include: DeSantis, Haley, Pence, Ramaswamy, Burgum, Scott, Hutchinson and Christie. Trump has said he will not participate in the debate which airs from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Wednesday, August 23 at 9 pm ET.
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