DeSantis Speaks Out on Trump's 2020 Election Loss

• Financial

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, in a candid discussion with NBC News, has broken his silence on former President Donald Trump's 2020 electoral defeat. This comes as a marked departure from his usual stance, shedding light on his evolving political beliefs as he steps further into the national limelight.

“Of Course He Lost”

In an interview that aired Sunday, DeSantis clearly stated, “Of course he lost. Joe Biden’s the president”. This acknowledgment of Trump's defeat is the most direct he has been on the subject since the 2020 elections.

Adding to his straightforward take, DeSantis earlier pointed out in Decorah, Iowa, that various "theories" and claims propagated by Trump and his associates in the aftermath of the election were “unsubstantiated” and did not stand up to scrutiny.

Election Imperfections and Trump's Response

However, DeSantis didn’t paint the 2020 election as flawless. He raised concerns about actions taken by states to facilitate voting during the pandemic. While he didn't discredit mail-in voting outright, the governor expressed concerns over its widespread use, which he attributed to Trump’s decisions during his tenure.

Drawing a connection to Trump's policies, DeSantis argued, “Why did we have all those mail votes? Because Trump turned the government over to Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

They embraced lockdowns. They did the CARES Act, which funded mail-in ballots across the country”. Despite his criticism, DeSantis had earlier expressed gratitude towards the Trump administration. “We thank President Trump for this much-needed support and look forward to our continued work to defeat Covid-19 and emerge stronger than before,” he said, highlighting a complex relationship with the former president.

A Call for Unity

In a recent interaction in Waverly, Iowa, the Florida governor emphasized the need for national healing and progress beyond Trump's legal battles. “We got to look forward. We got to start healing divisions in this country,” he remarked.

DeSantis further highlighted the necessity to focus on the broader picture for the nation's welfare, stating, “All of this stuff that’s going on, I think it’s just exacerbating the divisions. And so sometimes there’s a larger picture that you have to look at, and I will be looking at that larger picture wanting to move forward for the sake of the country”.