Roger Stone, a close ally of former president Donald Trump plans to run for governor of Florida unless the state’s current Republican governor Ron DeSantis commits to not running for president in 2024.
Stone told CBS Miami that if DeSantis is reelected next year, he should serve his full term as governor and not run for president even if Trump decides not to run.
DeSantis “should pledge to the people of Florida that he will fill out all four years of a second term,” Stone told CBS Miami on Friday. “What I don’t want to see is for him to be reelected and then immediately abandon Florida to run off and run for president, particularly if he’s running against Donald Trump.”
“I just don’t think Florida should be a stepping stone to the president for any person,” he added.
Stone said his objective is not to win the race, just to peel off some voters who would have otherwise voted for DeSantis.
“The people who love Ron DeSantis the most are of course the people who have never met him,” he said. “I don’t think that I would have to get many votes to change the results of this race.”
