According to Mediate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made headlines during a campaign event in northeast Iowa when he disavowed Donald Trump’s 2020 election conspiracy theories. He clarified that while he believes the election was not conducted the way it should have been, he does not support Trump’s claims of widespread fraud or voting machine rigging, stating that such theories have been proven unsubstantiated.
Despite taking a stance against Trump’s election conspiracy theories, DeSantis remains behind the former president in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, with Trump leading by an average of 27 points in Iowa, according to RealClearPolitics.
“It was not an election that was conducted the way I think that we want to, but that’s different than saying Maduro stole votes or something like that,” DeSantis said about Trump’s allegations that voting machines may have rigged the outcome. “Those theories, you know, proved to be unsubstantiated.”
Regarding Trump’s arraignment on Thursday, where he was officially charged with four counts related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, DeSantis offered a unique explanation for not watching the extensive news coverage. He mentioned that as governor, he had to oversee executions, and on the same day, Florida executed James Barnes for a murder committed in 1988, as well as confessing to killing his estranged wife in 1997.
DeSantis’ remarks on Trump’s election claims and his explanation for not watching the arraignment have drawn attention, highlighting the delicate balance many politicians face when dealing with the former president and the controversies surrounding his actions and statements. As the 2024 presidential race continues to unfold, political stances and responses to events will likely play a significant role in shaping the GOP landscape.
He said about Trump’s arraignment, “I saw a little bit,” replied the Florida governor. “Unfortunately, one of the things as governor that you have to do is oversee executions. So we had an execution yesterday, so I was tied up with that for most of the day.”
