A veteran GOP strategist who encouraged Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to seek the Republican nomination for president now says the Florida governor is a “flawed candidate” who “clearly doesn’t understand the game.”
Ed Rollins has worked with major presidential campaigns, going all the way back to Ronald Reagan’s in 1984. In May 2022, Rollins created the “Ready for Ron” PAC to encourage DeSantis to run for higher office.
More than a year later, Rollins has left the group because he no longer believes DeSantis is the candidate to defeat former President Donald Trump in the primary and win back the White House for Republicans in 2024.
“I don’t think it’s the campaign’s fault at all; it’s his. I think he’s been a very flawed candidate,” Rollins told Rolling Stone. “I know some of the people around him, and some of them are good, talented people. But every time he opens his mouth, he has a tendency to — shall we say — think out-loud, and he clearly doesn’t understand the game. When you get into these culture wars the way that he has, the vast majority of people don’t understand what they are.”
Rollins also derided DeSantis as “not a particular articulate candidate” and said he lacks the ability to connect with voters and understand their problems.
“At this point in time, I don’t see how he’s going to turn it around,” Rollins added.
A New York Times/ Siena College Poll released on Monday shows Former President Donald Trump with a 37 point lead (54%-17%) over DeSantis in the GOP primary. No other candidate in the field received more than 3%.
Rollins admitted that Trump will likely be the Republican nominee going into 2024 and it will cost the GOP their majority in the House and give Biden a second term.
“I think it’s gonna be Trump’s game, and at this point in time, I would be shocked if Trump were not the nominee,” Rollins said. “And at the end of the day, I don’t see how Trump is a viable presidential candidate in part because of his legal problem, but I certainly think he is the favorite to be the nominee. So, unless something serious happens, Biden is probably going to get a second term..and I could even see Republicans losing their majority in the House.”
